A Game of Masques
by Silvershadowfire
Summary: Yugi, a demon of seduction, meets a quiet teenaged loner named Yami - can they save each other when their lives fall apart? Yaoi YXYY
1. Dark Innocence

_Lee-Ann is typing frantically away with a plotbunny sitting on her head and gnawing on her braid when Yami Shadowdancer walks into the room._

"Hey. I though you were too busy to write this."

"Shut up you." more frantic typing "This is all your fault. You must have let the bunny out...I have an essay due tomorrow!"

A smirk from the yami. "You needed a break anyway. Political science is dull." pats plotbunny on the head. "And you are just so cute..."

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YuGiOh, nor do I own the plot – this is all UsagiLovesDuochan and my yami's fault, damnit...

Title: A Game of Masques

Chapter: 1/?

Author: Lee-Ann Shadowdancer

Rating: This chapter – PG.R for later lemons and violence.

Note: This is partially inspired by UsagiLovesDuochan's plotbunny and by a picture I have on my computer of a rather spooky looking Yugi. E-mail me if you want a copy. It's not my picture (I wish!) but I don't know who it actually belongs to so I can't give proper credit. I was also listening to Enigma...

Incubus: Traditionally, an exotically handsome male demon who preys on the lust of a human woman.

Chapter 1 – Dark Innocence

Everyone knows that an incubus is good looking – the epitome of the male figure, whose very presence drives a woman insane with lust. They look like the cover of a romance novel, 6'5" tall with massive rippling muscles and long, flowing hair, great demon batwings and sometimes tastefully small horns. The only clothing they are ever seen in is a loincloth that barely covers their...assets.

However, Hell's most phenomenally successful incubus currently reclined in a tree just outside the grounds of Domino High School, eating an apple, dressed neck to foot in black skin-tight leather and studs. His given name was Ludus, which in the local dialect could be translated as Yugi; of late the latter had become his preferred alias. Born nearly six hundred years ago, he'd spent the time living up to his name; his friends sometimes called him Ludus Rex - Game King - because he never lost at the games of seduction and lust, no matter what the victim, male or female. Unlike others of his race, Yugi never relied on his powers to seduce someone...that would be cheating.

But then again, he didn't need to rely on his supernatural abilities when nature had given him a strong, lithe body which he had decided to freeze at about 17 human years of age; wild red hair so dark it looked black with his bangs magically dyed blonde; and features that were exotic no matter which part of the planet he decided to visit. The great black wings were just an added bonus. Yugi's greatest weapon, however, where his wide amethyst eyes.

His desire for games did sometimes get him into trouble –which is why he was hanging around in the human realm anyway. He'd seduced Azmodeous' latest consort on a dare...and the Demon Lord had a long memory.

Yugi sighed and tossed the apple core away. Unlike most of his kin, he didn't take any delight in corrupting mortals...but he did enjoy playing with them. Especially taking straight-laced people and helping them explore their more... primitive and exotic urges. He cast his gaze over the students in the courtyard of the school, searching for his next mortal toy. He never broke up established relationships unless it looked like they were on the rocks anyway, or founded on false pretenses. He preferred the loners, though – they were more of a challenge to bed than the preppy kids who would hop in the sack with anyone. No, he liked the quiet ones – they tended to make a lot more noise when he had them chained up and begging for him to take them. He grinned at the thought, eyes half-lidded and sparkling with remembered conquests.

Something caught at his attention – he saw a young man, about 17, walking across the schoolyard – or rather, being towed by his girlfriend. From the body language, he wasn't too happy to be towed either. Yugi cocked his head, standing and spreading his wings. With a single flap he was airborne, circling over the oblivious students to follow the pair. He had no fear of being seen – no one would spot him unless he allowed it.

He perched above the alcove where the pair stopped. The girlfriend, a rather pretty brunette, turned to face her boyfriend, crossing her arms in patent annoyance.

"What is up with you lately, Yami?" she demanded of the boy, who shrugged nonchalantly. "You seem so distant – and you didn't even bother to call me at all this weekend. You know if this relationship is going to work then you have to put some effort into it."

"I'm sorry, Anzu." Yami answered. He acted bold enough, but his eyes refused to meet Anzu's. He was dressed in the school uniform, every button done up neatly. His thick hair had been clipped short, his blonde bangs swept back into the black mass at the back. A pair of wireless glasses perched on his nose; Yugi swung around until he caught a glimpse of dark brown eyes. Yugi smiled to himself...a quiet one, this. But there was a fire behind those eyes – despite being banked and controlled, Yugi knew that it would burn bright indeed should it ever be freed. He sniffed – over the centuries his heightened senses had learned to differentiate between different pheromones. The girl was putting them out – she was interested, despite her anger. Yami, however, smelled of nothing. His body wasn't reacting at all to the presence of the girl – strange in a teenaged boy. A wider smile crossed the demon's lips – the boy was eitherrepressed,so repulsed by Anzu that his disgust overwhelmed any reaction – or the poor kid was gay and didn't even know it.

He watched Anzu stalk away, throwing a final statement over he shoulder. "If you can't be bothered, neither can I Yami. Goodbye."

Yugi watched as Yami's stiff shoulders drooped. He hefted the books in is arms and walked slowly away.

Yugi spread his wings and leapt into the air. Now the game could begin...


	2. The Quiet One

Here goes…next chapter.

Title: A Game of Masques

Chapter: 2/?

Author: Silvershadowfire

Rating: This chapter – PG.R for later lemons and violence.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything except a couple thousand books and a goldfish named Impulse.

Note: This is partially inspired by UsagiLovesDuochan's's plotbunny and by a picture I have on my computer of a rather spooky looking Yugi.I got it at theFanart section of ww w. ja ni me .com (take out spaces) It's not my picture (I wish!) but I don't know who it actually belongs to so I can't give proper credit.

Chapter 2 – The Quiet One.

Yami walked over to the dresser, rubbing at his itching, burning eyes. He reached up and neatly pulled out his tinted contacts, revealing the true vibrant red-violet of his irises – a colour he had been taught to hate. With a sigh, he pulled off his clothes, leaving them in a neat pile on the edge of his bed before walking over to the en-suite for a shower. He shivered as he remembered the interview earlier in the afternoon.

_Flashback_

_Yami stood at 'attention'; his feet together, his shoulders thrown back, arms at his sides, chin lifted, eyes at a point just over Father's left shoulder. They were in the man's study, where Yami had been summoned when he got home from school. _

_"I understand you broke up with Anzu Mizaki today." _

_"Yes, Father." No point in telling him why Anzu had been angry , or pointing out that his punishment last weekend – no telephone use – had contributed to the problems. _

_"Very well. I can't keep you home from the dance, as it is mandatory for you to attend; however…" He stood, walking around the desk he had been seated at. "Kneel."_

_Yami complied without a word. He bent over in a full, formal Japanese bow, his forehead to the floor. _

_"What do you have to say for yourself?" _

_"Forgive me, Father. I, who am less than nothing, humbly beg you forgive my offence." Yami knew the words well – nine years of repetition had burned them into his brain. He closed his eyes against the dull ache of his heart and tried not to hear the words emerging from his own mouth. "Father, I will willingly accept whatever punishment you decree, as is your right and duty. I beg you; show mercy, though I deserve none."_

_"What are you?" _

_"A worthless freak. Less than nothing before you." _

_"What do you deserve?"_

_"Nothing save your anger. No mercy. No forgiveness. I beg you to punish me, Father. Allow me to repent for having disobeyed your will."_

_A pause. Then lips beside his ear. "I will be merciful, my son. You will not speak unless spoken to after this night for the next five days. You will write me a 10 page paper on how you have squandered the gifts I have given you – which will be on my desk by the end of those five days."_

_"Thank you, Father."_

_"You will not dance with any girl more than once – you are not worthy of them. You will not slow-dance at all. Is that understood?"_

_"Yes. Thank you, Father."_

_"Now get up – you still have to make ready for the dance."_

_End flashback_

Yami stepped out from the shower, his body warm and clean but his soul empty. He didn't want to go to the dance, but he had no choice; he'd been looking forward to it until this afternoon, but…

"_You are not worthy of them…" _

Father was right. That was why Anzu had broken up with him – he was too low to even think of being with her. And if his father ever found out about his dreams…

He shuddered. The first time he'd been caught after a wet dream, he'd been made to kneel in Father's study for over an hour while Father told him how weak and pathetic he was; how he couldn't control his baser urges. If he ever found out that the center of his dreams had been male, rather than female…

Yami shook the idea from his thoughts. It didn't matter anyway. He wasn't worthy of anyone, man or woman – he would be better to marry whoever his parents picked for him and count his blessings that anyone would consent to bed a nothing like him.

He dried and combed his hair; put his contacts back in and dressed in a clean uniform, his every movement by rote. Then he slipped out of his room, walking silently down the quiet hall and out the front door. He glanced down at his watch – almost time. Vaguely he wondered who would be taking him to the dance.

A car pulled up in the drive with Father's aide at the wheel. Yami wordlessly got in. The drive was silent as well – Yami never even looked at the scenery, or at anything else. He felt…empty, dead. He could barely remember the last time he had felt alive…back when he lived with his grandfather.

The first eight years of his life with his grandfather at the Kame Game Shop, playing with his friends and learning the games of chess and go. He'd loved it, and his grandfather had encouraged him, claiming that a person with good game skills could apply those to real life and solve any problem.

Then his parents had claimed him, ripping him from his school and life, showing him his true path, and his true worth. _I'm sorry, Jii-chan...I can't solve this problem._

When they pulled up at the school, Father's aide coughed lightly. "I will pick you up here at 11:00 o'clock sharp."

"Yes, sir." Yami answered dully. "Thank you."

"Have fun." The phrase almost sounded sincere.

"Thank you." He answered again, sliding out of the car. He joined the line of students entering the gym, hearing to their excited chatter without listening. Flashing his student card at the door, he walked immediately to a dark corner. He always felt better in the dark…it made him feel like he could just vanish from the world.

The music had already started up, a fast dance mix. Swirling spotlights flashed around the gym dizzyingly, illuminating the few brave kids already on the dance floor. Yami leaned further back into the corner, willing himself not to feel. Not to care…

Perhaps five minutes passed – perhaps an hour. Yami watched dully as the dance floor filled up; a bright and cheery song boomed over the loudspeakers and a flash of movement caught his eye.

The center of the floor cleared; someone must be holding forth, doing some kind of fancy move, because clapping and cheering echoed suddenly in the room. Yami blinked slowly, coming out of his daze, poked by a hazy curiosity.

He walked across the floor, unnoticed, towards the source of the commotion. He could just barely make out the two dancers in the centre of the floor, surrounded as they were by much taller kids than he. Yami managed to find a hole in the surrounding wall of bodies and worm his way in – only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw the dancers clearly.

The girl was pretty, with long dark hair and flashing green eyes, a grin on her face as she gyrated with her partner. The boy…

Yami swallowed convulsively. The boy was breathtaking. Wild spiked hair that flashed with red highlights, gold bangs falling on either side of angelically beautiful features, he was dressed in a silver sleeveless shirt and black jeans; spiked wristbands and a collar completed the ensemble.

But more than the physical looks made Yami's limbs tremble and his heart ache. The boy's head was thrown back, eyes closed, those angelic features radiant with a rapturous joy. Innocent sensuality flowed from every graceful move of his dance. Maybe it was the silver shirt, but illumination seemed to cling to his body like the light of Heaven. _He's so beautiful… _His stomach lurched – Yami stumbled back out of the circle of people, ignoring their clapping and cheering, fighting the burning in his eyes and the rising lump in his throat.

_God…he's everything I'm not…everything I want... _Yami knew he'd fallen helplessly in love in that moment…and knew he would never be worthy to touch this earthbound angel. His stomach lurched again, as though it was trying to climb up his throat. He hit the wall in his dark corner and slid to the floor, curled in a ball of abject misery. No one would see him here – no one would care if they did. _Please…_he pleaded with...someone, perhaps the darkness itself. _I can't take this anymore…I can't…just open up and swallow me and let me fall forever and ever and ever…_

"Hey…are you okay?" A gentle voice pierced his spiraling thoughts. Yami peeked up from his knees to see his angel staring at him, gentle concern written on his face and in his eyes…

Yami forgot to breathe. A thousand glimmering shades of amethyst swam in endless pools of lambent night, drawing him into their depths to drown in ecstasy. The world fell away, leaving only Yami and those glorious eyes that promised bliss…

"Hey." A poke on his arm snapped him back to reality, the sound in the gym suddenly deafening. Yami blinked and gasped, his lungs burning with returning oxygen. "You don't look good. Do you need any help?" The words were innocent; the boy couldn't see the truth about him. Yami took another gulp of air and shook his head.

"It's…it's okay." He managed to force the words out. "I'm just feeling a little…dizzy. I'm okay."

"Here." The angel tugged insistently at Yami's arm, gently urging him to his feet. "It's a little warm in here…how about we step outside, get some air?"

"You don't have to…" Yami started. His mind refused to function as his angel towed him outside. The cool fall air hit him like a slap in the face, making him gasp.

"Sorry." His angel turned, wide eyes repentant. "Did I hurt you?"

"N..no..o." Yami bit his cheek in frustration. _I am such an idiot…_

"My name's Yugi." The angel smiled brightly.

"Yami."

"Darkness? Interesting name…I think it suits you though." Yugi grinned at him. "Feeling any better?" He sat down on the bench he'd dragged them to, settling down comfortably.

_No._ "Yes, thank you. I guess I just needed some fresh air, like you said." Yami shuffled from foot to foot. He wasn't very good at interpersonal communications. The silence hung between them for a long moment, but surprisingly it wasn't an awkward one. Just two people sitting outside in the night, the muted music from the dance behind them filling the air.

"Yami?" Yugi said at last, breaking the other teen out of his daze.

"Yes?"

"You dance?"

"Erm…" Yami swallowed. "Yes, but…"

Yugi laughed – a sound light and sweet as a nightingale's song. "I was just curious. Have you ever noticed how many people seem to come to dances, especially boys, and end up not dancing at all? Seems a bit of a waste to me."

"I dance…a bit." Yami admitted. "But I'm not really that good at it."

"I bet you slow-dance well." Yugi grinned up at him.

"N-no." Father's voice rang through his head. _You are not to slow dance at all!_

"I love to dance. It's the greatest thing in the world, just to lose yourself in the music and the movement until all those pesky thoughts in your brain go away."

Another silence.

"Can I ask you a question?" Yami asked. Before Yugi could reply, he rushed on. "I've never seen you at the school before. Are you new?"

"Nope. I don't go to this school – but I love to dance so much that I take any chance I can get. They aren't usually too fussy as long as you have student ID from some school."

"Oh." That surprised him. He never thought that someone could love anything so much as to go out of their way to obtain it.

"Yeah. Listen, you want to go back in, or you want to stay here? I don't mind either way."

"You…don't have to stay with me, you know." _I'm not worth the time and effort. He probably is just looking for an excuse to go back to the dance. I can't blame him either._

"I don't mind." Yugi smiled again. He had a beautiful, sincere smile.

A slight flush running over his face, Yami sat down beside Yugi. A strange, fluttery feeling built in his stomach, one that he didn't understand.

"Have…you been in Domino long?" Yami started. His reserves of small talk were miniscule – not that Yugi seemed to mind silence. But he was curious – after all, who would help a total stranger like this, just to be friendly?

"No…just a few months." Yugi cocked his ears as though listening to something, shot him another smile and leaned forward. "Come on. Let's dance."

"But…" Yami bit his lip. He heard the music – a slow dance tune - and sought frantically for an excuse. "I don't know how." Maybe he could just delay until they moved onto a new song.

"It's easy – here, I'll show you." Yugi stood, pulling Yami to his feet. "Okay, I'll play the girl." He smiled mischievously as he placed Yami's hands on his own hips, amethyst eyes shading almost to lavender with mischief; Yami swallowed convulsively, and it had nothing to do with nerves; his heart waspounding like akobuki drum. Yugi placed his hands on Yami's shoulders, loosely twining his fingers around each other behind Yami's neck. "Now, close your eyes and listen to the music."

Yami did as he was instructed, sighing as he felt Yugi begin to sway to the faint sounds from the gym. Yami concentrated on how they moved in tandem, slowly feeling out how Yugi danced to the rhythm of the sound.

"Relax." Yugi breathed. "Just relax – don't think. That's part of the trick."

Just as he was beginning to get the knack of it, the music died away, leaving him with Yugi standing in his arms. He opened his eyes to see that same look of rapture on the other's face – then those glorious eyes opened again, features settling into a look of cat-like satisfaction. "See? I knew you could slow-dance."

"Thank you." Yami murmured. He felt strange now – relaxed and tense at the same time. "But we should get back."

"Yeah." Yugi smiled slowly. "But…I want to dance some more. Will you dance with me again?"

"But…" The music was faster now – how on earth did you dance to fast music with another guy? He licked his lips as Yugi seemed to take the hesitant word for assent, because he had dropped his hands to the front of Yami's school jacket and was unbuttoning it! "What are you doing?"

"Undoing your jacket." Yugi answered fussily, but a smile still played on the side of one mouth. "Honestly, how do you expect to dance dressed in this?" He flipped the jacket off, tossing it on the bench before moving to stand behind Yami, taking the teen's hips in his hands. "Now close your eyes again. I'll show you a different way of dancing." Yami felt Yugi start to guide his movements, moving his hips in an almost aggressive thrust. "The hips are the beat." He whispered in Yami's ear, the hot breath doing bad things to Yami's awakening libido. "Use your feet to convey the rhythm, and your hands for emphasis. Dancing is just expressing the music with your body. Think tai chi – let the music flow through you. Let it move you." Yugi's hands vanished from his hips, allowing him to continue the motion on his own. Tentatively he moved his feet back and forth to the rhythm.

"Good." Feather light touches ran over his shoulders and arms, releasing tension he didn't even know was there. "Now close your eyes and relax…I'll tell you a secret. As long as you enjoy the music – release the tensions and thoughts that clutter your mind – you can't dance badly. It's impossible."

"But…"

"Shh. No buts…just close your eyes and listen. From ear…" -Yugi ran a light finger over the shell of the organ, making Yami shiver - "…to the spine…" -Yami had to bite his lips to keep from moaning as the finger traveled to the back of his neck – "…and down to the centre of your body." A long arm wrapped around his chest, running that finger over his body, tagging his nipple along the way. Helplessly Yami felt his body start to move; he felt Yugi come up behind him, their hips moving in tandem. His closed eyelids fluttered as he let his brain just stop working. Relaxing into the movement, Yami found himself dancing with a strange, wonderful freedom. Ghostly touches ran over his face and through his hair; without really understanding why, he let his head drop onto Yugi's shoulder, melting into the embrace of his partner as Yugi wrapped warm arms around his waist. The music changed – so did the dance, becoming slower and more heated; it felt so good just to stop thinking and _be._

Until the buzzing discordance of his watch destroyed the moment. He jerked out of Yugi's grasp, blinking down at the digital readout.

10:55 pm. His ride would be here in five minutes. He looked at Yugi, who was watching him with his head cocked in silent query.

"You have to go?"

"Yes…I'm sorry. That was fun – thank you."

"Hey, no problem." Yugi helped him into his jacket – now that he had stopped moving it was starting to get cold - and sat back down on the bench while Yami started off towards his pick-up spot. He paused.

"S-see you around?" Yami bit his lip, waiting for a reply as he looked over his shoulder at Yugi, who gave him a slow, glorious smile of pure joy.

"Yeah, sure."

Yami returned the smile. Then his watch beeped eleven and he ran for it.

_If I'm late Father will punish me!_

Yugi smiled after Yami's retreating back, his eyes dark and half-lidded with satisfaction. That had been fun…and this would be both easier and harder than he thought. Seducing him would be a snap – the kid was so bloody repressed all you had to do was give him some attention and _boom!_ He's putty in your hands; but then there would be the guilt and the crying and the accusations - so messy and bothersome. It would be neater and _more_ fun to get Yami to chase him…

Yugi smirked, extending his wings and drawing the veil of his will around himself, becoming unseen to the mortals. Leaping into the air, he vanished into the night.


	3. Secrets in the Dark

The plotbunny – now dubbed Usagi - is sitting calmly on Yami Silvershadowfire's lap, eating a carrot, while Silvershadowfiretypes frantically.

"Finally! Done!"Silvershadowfire holds up the paper from the printer in triumph. "And that's the last of my homework!"

"Good." YamiSSF walks over and places Usagi, carrot and all, in her hikari's lap. "Now I believe you have some people out there who want the next chapter."

Usagi looks up with his puppy-dog eyes and wrinkles his nose.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YuGiOh, nor do I own the basic plot – the story is mine, however. This is all Usagi-loves-Duochan and my yami's fault, damnit…

Title: A Game of Masques

Chapter: 3/?

Author: Silvershadowfire

Rating: This chapter – R for sexual situations and language.

Note: This is partially inspired by Usagi's plotbunny and by a picture I have on my computer of a rather spooky looking Yugi. If you want to see it, go to the Yugi fanart section of .

If you don't want to read anything explicit, skip the first section below. Consider this a lime-ish warning.

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Chapter 3 – Secrets in the Dark

_Yami looked up at the beautiful face of Yugi, desire racing through his veins. He was naked to his lover's gaze, unashamed as Yugi traced his chest and stomach with a loving hand, finally coming to rest on his erect manhood. Yami groaned as pleasure shivered through his flesh, groaning again as Yugi's hand started to move, gently squeezing and massaging the warm, hard flesh. The motion grew faster and faster, while Yami writhed in absolute bliss. He was so close… _

_"More." He panted, a tongue licking across his dry lips. "Please…I'm gonna come…" Yugi smiled like the sun coming up and leaned over, kissing him gently. _

_"Anything you say, koibito." _

_The pleasure peaked, his seed erupting forth with a cry of ecstasy…_

The alarm clock buzzed, waking Yami to a grim reality and a sticky mess. He rolled out of bed with the ease of long practice, slipping into his ensuite to clean himself off and bring a wet cloth to erase the evidence of his dream.

Every night. Every night since he had met Yugi, Yami dreamed of having sex with his beautiful angel. Every morning he woke with a mess to clean and a strange feeling of both being satisfied and wanting more. He shivered in the morning air, dressing quickly and making his bed so that no one would find the wet spot on the sheets. Thankfully, he no longer had to suffer under the punishment his father had decreed – the last of the five days had passed.

Not that it would make much of a difference – word of his breakup with Anzu had gotten around the school; she was one of the popular girls, so now no one would talk to him anyways. Unless he ran into Yugi…

Yami quashed the thought. _He goes to a different school…I'll probably never see him again until the next mandatory dance…_ Despair settled in the pit of his stomach as he walked out of the room towards his breakfast.

* * *

Yugi watched Yami through the window that evening, absently worrying a leaf into tiny pieces.

Something wasn't right. For the past five days he'd been shadowing Yami everywhere, even watching him sleep at night, and the boy had not so much as said word one to anyone unless directly addressed the whole time.

When he'd returned Yami's jacket at the dance, he had slipped his phone number in the pocket. Not subtle, but sometimes you needed to give the quiet ones a push. He'd watched as Yami had found it before putting that jacket in the laundry…watched as Yami carefully pulled out his glasses and put them on, reading the note…then watched in shock as Yami put the note in the toilet in his ensuite and flushed.

_Damnit, I know he's interested. He's been having wet dreams every night, and I know they've had me in them! _His hearing was good enough to pick up the mutters and moans as Yami dreamed, so Yugi had a pretty good idea what was happening. Why wouldn't the infuriating mortal do anything about it? He was allowed to date – he'd been dating Anzu, right? And it wasn't like the note had been explicit – just 'call me if you want to talk.' Surely after all this time, he would want someone to talk to!

He settled back on the tree branch to think as he watched Yami do his homework. He found his thoughts drifting off as he watched every little motion…the way Yami would tap his fingers on the desk when he thought, the way he shifted a little in the chair, the way he would run his tongue over his lips, leaving a glistening trail of moisture… The incubus groaned, feeling himself harden at the thought of what that tongue might do to him.

"What's gotten into me?" Yugi shook off the daydream. Yami wasn't the only one having fantasies – Yugi had gotten to the point where looking at the other turned him on.

_This is ridiculous._ He pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialed up Yami's home number. _I have to get him out of the house and alone for a bit. Maybe he's just really, really shy?_

"Moshi moshi. Motou Kyoshori speaking."

"Hello." Yugi adjusted the handset a bit. "May I speak to Yami please?"

A pause on the line. "There is no Yami here. Goodbye." Then a click. Yugi stared at the cel in shock. _What the fuck?_

Not thirty seconds later, Yami's bedroom door opened and one of the servant came in, telling the teenager that he was wanted in the study. Yami's face drained of all colour before he nodded. Standing, he stopped in front of the mirror, making sure that his appearance was perfect before he slipped out of his room. Curious, Yugi went immaterial and followed.

The house followed the pattern of Yami's bedroom - impersonal. Yugi stopped at the door with Yami, watching as he knocked, entering on the muffled answer. The demon slipped in behind him.

"Yami Motou, have you been speaking to anyone these five days? Have you given out my home phone number?"

"No, Father." Yami stood at perfect attention. Yugi blinked.The boy hadn't beenallowed to speak to anyone for the last five days?

"Then explain to me why I just received a phone call asking for you."

Yami blinked. "I…don't know, Father. Perhaps it was the school?"

Kyoshori walked around the desk towards his son. Yugi studied him – a short man, shorter even than his son, with narrow brown eyes and black hair cut in the traditional businessman's style. He wore an expensive suit; his shoes shone with fresh polish. His expression reminded Yugi of spoiled espresso beans - bitter and tough, harsh on the tongue.

"I think you're lying to me." Kyoshori murmured quietly. "I think you have disobeyed my rules." He picked up a sheaf of paper lying on the desk and ripped them into shreds, throwing them into Yami's face – the teenager winced, but otherwise didn't move. "Which makes this report nothing but a pack of more lies. Kneel, boy."

Yami knelt as Yugi watched in growing horror and guilt. Yami was to be punished for getting a simple phone call?

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

The words spilled from Yami's mouth with all the emotion of a robot; Yugi found the guilt giving way to anger as he listened.

When the recitation had finished – and how often had Yami been forced to repeat those words? – Kyoshori leaned down beside his son.

"I do not forgive you. I will not show mercy this time, unworthy one; obviously it is wasted on you."

"Father…" Yami's tone shook, as though he was fighting back tears.

"Do NOT speak out of turn."

Yami winced. Yugi felt his lips curling up in a silent growl. His rage strengthened his daemonic aspects – he could feel the fangs and claws of his infernal heritage manifesting, begging to rip the heart from that monster, to watch his blood drip to the floor in slow agonizing rivulets…

Yugi reigned in his temper. As much as he wanted to, manifesting here and ripping Yami's father to shreds was not the best way to gain the boy's trust. He would have to be more patient. Slowly a cold rage overtook the hot burning anger, clearing his mind.

"You will not be leaving this house for a month." Kyoshori pronounced. "You will not leave your room – you will not speak to anyone, nor will anyone speak to you. You will spend four hours in here each morning, kneeling; you will not make a sound nor will you move. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Father." Yami's voice never quavered – he sounded like a zombie.

"What do you say?"

"Thank you, Father. This is better than I deserve."

_mustnotkill...mustnotkill..._ Yugi growled silently as Yami went to stand.

"One more thing." Kyoshori interjected – Yami sank to the floor again. "Since you have decided to cast aside the relationship with Anzu that your mother went to so much trouble to arrange, you will not be allowed to speak with a girl, nor will you be attending any dances, until a suitable mate can be found for you. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Father. Thank you, Father."

"You may go."

Yami rose and walked out of the room. Kyoshori sat down behind the desk, picking up his paperwork as though nothing had happened.

"I know you cannot hear me, mortal." Yugi spat. "But we have a new game now – I will take your son from you. I will take him and release him from the ties you have bound his spirit with, and the next time you see him, he will treat you like the tiny, stupid, foolish man that you are – and when you see what your son has become, I will shatter your mind and heart in revenge for what you have done to him." The incubus growled and left the room to the oblivious human.

By the time Yugi made his way back to Yami's window, the teenager was sitting on his bed, unmoving, his features holding no expression.

_I have to get him out of here._ Yugi thought._ I have to take him somewhere else…somewhere safe._ With a flexing of his powers, he allowed himself to become visible in 'human' form. This would take a performance worthy of a Shakespearian actor. He took a deep breath, then knocked softly on the glass.

Yami looked over at him and Yugi almost fell out of the tree. His eyes had gone nearly black - dead, the fire buried under a weight of unfathomable despair. With a motion that held all the life of a zombie, Yami walked over to the window and opened it. Yugi blushed artistically.

"Hi!" he chirped. "Sorry about this, but when your father hung up one me, I got the feeling…what's wrong?"

Yami stumbled back to the bed, sitting down abruptly. His eyes glimmered with unshed tears, head and hands shaking before he suddenly curled up in a fetal position, facing away from Yugi. The demon climbed into the room, walking over to the mortal and touching him comfortingly on the shoulder. Yami winced away from the touch.

"Yami…what's wrong? Please, did I do something to offend you?"

No answer. Not even a twitch now from the figure on the bed.

"Yami…" Yugi bit his lip. "Please, talk to me."

Still no answer. Yugi tried touching Yami again, this time succeeding. He moved around until he could see the teenager's face, which was blank, his gaze unseeing.

"I can't." Yami murmured, as though to himself. Yami seriously doubted he realized he was speaking aloud. "I can't. I'm not allowed – Father is punishing me. Father will…"

"Is this because I called you?"

Still no visual response. "Yes…" Yami sighed. Yugi guessed now that in his mind Yami could get away with talking to himself. "It's not your fault- you couldn't know, my tenshi. You couldn't know that it would make Father angry."

"I'm sorry." Yugi reached out, stroking back Yami's hair. He didn't have to feign the guilt in his voice. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I…just wanted to see you again."

Yami twitched. His eyes grew wide, and for the first time he looked directly at the demon. "You wanted…to see…_me?_" he asked incredulously, before suddenly realizing what he had done and curling into an even tighter ball.

"Yes." Yugi was shocked to find real tears in his own eyes. It wasn't right for Yami to be so small, so broken. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to gather him up in his arms and tell him that it would be alright… "After our dance, I couldn't get you out of my head." Truth again; a truth he hadn't even admitted to himself. "I'm sorry. I'll go now."

"No." Yami whimpered. "Please – I'm so tired of being alone…"

Yugi paused. Maybe…it was worth a try. "Then come with me."

"What?" Yami shook his head in denial. "I can't…Father will…"

"Your father can't punish you if you aren't here." Yugi murmured, drawing Yami's face around so they met eye to eye. He exerted his aura of fascination, pitching his voice into a low, hypnotic drone. "Come with me…you'll never have to face punishment again. I promise…you will never be punished again. Just come…come with me…"

Yami's eyes slowly glazed over as he stared at the incubus. Yugi watched the magic take hold of Yami's mind; standing up, he backed towards the window. Yami rose sluggishly, his eyes never leaving Yugi, who held out his hand. Yami grasped it and the spell locked in place. Yami's eyes half-closed; his mind retreated into some blissful dream. Running a hand down the teenager's cheek, Yugi nodded in satisfaction. The aura of fascination didn't work on anyone who wasn't willing, on some level, to comply; kind of like hypnotism, but more powerful. Which meant that Yami wanted to go with him – and that meant his spirit wasn't broken completely. Bent and twisted, but not broken.

"Follow me." The demon ordered quietly, slipping out the window, Yami following. Yugi grinned wickedly – round one to him.

Yugi led his companion to the train station, stopping on the way for some food to go. They caught the last train out of Domino City, which meant thecars were nearly deserted. Yugi sat Yami down on a seat and plopped a bento box in his lap. "Eat." He murmured. The teenager complied woodenly. He hated keeping Yami like this, but it would be safest until they got to his apartment – then Yami could freak out without causing a public scene.

Yami would be very unhappy with him – but hopefully not so angry that Yugi couldn't work something out. He was more concerned with getting Yami out of that house than seducing him – he wanted to keep him safe and well, even if he never slept with him. The demon glanced out the window at the darkness speeding by, confused by his own feelings.

When Yami had finished with the food, Yugi reached over and touched him gently between the eyes. "Sleep." He ordered.

The mortal's eyes drifted completely closed and his body relaxed, collapsing in a boneless heap. Yugi arranged him carefully on the seats.

"Oi, Yugi!" The voice that hailed him drew his attention away from Yami towards the two white-haired people coming down the train aisle. Most would think they were twins, but Yugi knew better – he smiled at the mated demon pair.

"Hey…Ryou, Bakura. How goes it?"

Ryou smiled back, running a hand through his thick mane of white hair. He was a 'storm-child', a demon who drew his power from weather systems. The larger demon beside him grinned wickedly at Yugi, then turned his attention to the sleeping Yami. "Nice catch, Yugioh." He smirked. Bakura was a gaki, a Japanese vampire-demon who fed on mortal pain. "Where did you get him?" He reached over, running a light finger over Yami's cheek. "He's in emotional agony."

"Hands off, 'Kura." Ryou ordered, but gently. He smiled at his mate. "It's rude to touch another's prize. He's beautiful, Yugi."

"Yes, he is." A thought occurred to him. "Hey, Bakura – can you consume any of his pain without actually hurting him?"

"I supposed – I've never tried." The gaki shrugged. "It tastes better if it hurts as I feed."

"I imagine." Yugi hadn't even thought about it, but since he wanted to ask the touchy demon a favour… "Listen – could you try, please? His pain is consuming him, and I don't want to have him damaged. Please?" He unleashed the full effects of his amethyst eyes on the demon, who winced.

"Fine – but only because you're a friend of Ryou's." Bakura knelt beside Yami and took his hand, hissing in pleasure as he 'fed' on the emotions. Yami didn't even wince. "He'll sleep like a dead man for the next day or so." Bakura informed Yugi, his blue eyes half-lidded with satiated pleasure.

"Thanks." Yugi smiled at them both, then frowned at Ryou's suddenly serious expression. "What's wrong?"

Ryou glanced at his mate. "Bakura?"

The gaki gestured, casting a spell of unseeing and unhearing. Yugi's frown grew deeper, and his eyes glittered with true concern; the shield was not set against mortals, but against demons.

Ryou reached over and squeezed his mate's hand in thanks. "Listen, Yugi. There is a reason we decided to drop by – Asmodeous is after your hide."

"I know – that's why I'm hanging around in the human realm for a while."

The white-haired demon shook his head. "You don't understand. The consort you seduced…"

"Sierra."

"…Sierra is pregnant, and Asmodeous is not the father. She claims you are."

"That's ridiculous. I'm not stupid enough to impregnate a Demon Lord's consort." Yugi huffed, insulted. Every incubus could and did control the virility of their seed – or else there would be a lot of half-demon children running around.

"I know that, and you know that, and Ryou knows that, but Asmodeous isn't thinking straight." Bakura said bluntly. "He's sent hunter demons after you…the twins."

Yugi felt his face draining of colour. "Crap. Marik and Malik?"

"Yes." Ryou answered solemnly for his mate. Yugi winced.

Marik and Malik – twin hunter demons, they were known for their extraordinary skill at tracking down anything, human or demon, as well as their extreme brutality. They would never give up – not if they chased him to the ends of the earth.

"Lay low." Bakura advised bluntly. "You might want to dump the mortal and find a deep, dark hole somewhere."

Yugi glanced at Yami, sleeping peacefully. He shook his head. "I can't." He reached over, stroking the teenager's cheek gently. "He trusted me enough to leave his home because I asked him to, even if I had to enchant him in the process – that makes him my responsibility, at least until he can stand on his own two feet." He looked up at the white-haired demons with a small smile. "Thank you for the warning."

Bakura simply dismissed the shield, while Ryou gave a small nod and soft smile. They left wordlessly, leaving Yugi to his thoughts.

He couldn't abandon Yami. The very thought of leaving him made his chest constrict. _And I will not abandon my game._ He thought of Yami's father and his eyes hardened. _Even if it cost me my life, this game I will win._

* * *

End of that chapter - thanks for reading, and drop me a line to let me know what you think!


	4. Masks Unveiled

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YuGiOh. – the story is mine, however. This is all Usagi-loves-Duochan and my yami's fault, damnit…

Title: A Game of Masques

Chapter: 4/?

Author: Lee-Ann Shadowdancer

Rating: This chapter – PG-13. NC17 for later lemons and violence.

Note: This is partially inspired by Usagi's plotbunny and by a picture I have on my computer of a rather spooky looking Yugi. If you want to see it, go to the Yugi fanart section of .

Chapter 4 –Masks Unveiled

Yami woke slowly, feeling sleep release its grasp only reluctantly. He felt so relaxed and comfortable that he didn't want to move. Vaguely on some level he knew he should get up to go to school, but he couldn't summon up the will to care. He lay curled on his side, eyes burning from too long wearing his contacts, staring at a blurry red wall. He blinked again and the wall resolved itself into deep red fabric. His eyes drifted closed; his ears picked up unusual sounds. Music played softly in the background; slightly louder came the sounds of metal and wood colliding. Elsewhere the sound of tinkling water harmonized with the music. A draught stirred the fabric beside him; he caught a strong whiff of cinnamon.

_Where am I?_ he wondered, mind slowly rising through the layers of sleep. Part of him just wanted to drift away, back into slumber – but something was poking at him, a tingling sense of alarm. _This is not my bed…_

The last thing he remembered…was Yugi in his room, talking to him…black despair so thick he'd wanted to die… and sleep, deep soothing sleep in some blissful dream lost beyond recall.

But the despair had vanished. He could, for the first time in a long time, think clearly.

Pushing the heavy covers off, Yami sat up and looked around. He could see now that the red fabric was a curtain – he was lying in an old-fashioned four-poster canopy bed. The covers matched the curtains – a thick, warm red plush. The bed was huge – a king-sized at least, and boasted enough pillows to denude a whole gaggle of geese. Someone had taken off his jacket, shoes and pants, leaving only his shirt and boxers to sleep in. Carefully, Yami reached out and twitched one of the curtains aside, letting in a draught of cooler air.

What little he could see revealed a fairly large room, floored in hardwood. The corner of an oak entertainment centre could be seen, as well as walls painted a pale beige. Poking his head out of the curtain, Yami saw that the walls were tastefully decorated with brightly-coloured hangings in abstract patterns. A small kitchenette, cordoned off by half-walls, filled one corner of the large room –some sort of wonderful scent wafted from it - his stomach growled painfully. Peeking out the other side of the bed, Yami saw that one entire wall was glass, covered in sheer curtains of palest gold. Footsteps caught his attention, and he glanced back out the first hole he'd made.

Yugi walked across the floor, barefoot, dressed in tight leather pants and loose silk shirt, both of deep midnight blue. He walked from a point around a corner, out of Yami's sight, towards the kitchenette.

The teenagerpulled the curtains closed, lying back on the soft pillows. How had he gotten here?

The curtains suddenlyswept back, revealing Yugi carrying a tray of food. Yami blinked at him; his mind warned him to be wary, but his stomach growled at the thought of food. He was so hungry that the simple poached eggs and toast looked – and smelled – like ambrosia.

"Good morning!" Yugi greeted him with a smile. "I'm glad to see that you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"What happened?" Yami asked instead, resisting the conflicting urges to grab the food and to slide away from Yugi. "How did I get here?"

Yugi cocked his head. "How about you eat and freshen up a bit first; then we'll talk. I promise to answer all of your questions – and if you really want me to, I'll even take you home."

Home. Yami winced as he realized he'd been gone without Father's permission for an unknown length of time_. Father is going to kill me for this._

Yugi must have seen the change of expression on his face, because he immediately put the food on the floor and half-climbed on the bed to gather the shocked teenager in a soothing hug. "It's okay – you don't have to worry. This is my house, and as long as you stay here, with me, I promise you will never have to worry about your father. He can't reach you here."

Yami nodded. For some reason, despite part of his mind still babbling at him, he found it impossible to be afraid of the other teen. Yugi turned those glorious eyes on him and Yami blushed slightly.

_Why am I fighting this? It's a dream come true…_ "Am I still dreaming?" he wondered aloud.

"No." Yugi smiled gently, tracing Yami's blushing cheek with a light finger. "Not unless we both are – and if it is, I don't want to wake up.

"But you need to eat – you've been asleep for three days." Yugi slid off the bed again, placed the tray of food on his lap and grinned. "I'll get you something to wear; then you can shower. I'm sure you'll feel much better then."

"Okay." Yami agreed. _A few more hours won't make Father's punishment any worse, I guess. _

He ate the toast and eggs quickly but neatly, making sure to take enough time that he wouldn't have a stomachache. Sliding out of bed, he took the tray to the kitchenette and put it on the counter.

Yugi came up with an armful of clothes. "Here. The bath's over in there," he indicated a door – "Get cleaned up – you'll feel much better. Give me those clothes and I'll get them laundered for you."

"Why are you being so nice to me? Especially considering you kidnapped me?" A thought occurred to him then. "And why should I trust you?" _I fell in love with you, but how do I know you don't mean me any harm?_

"Because." Yugi dumped the pile of cloth in his arms, turned him around and gently pushed him towards the door. "Go on."

"Okay." Yami walked into the bathroom and stopped in shock. It was HUGE and done in the traditional Japanese style; in one corner stood a tiled open washing area, for getting off the actual dirt and grime. The soaking tub - the second part of a traditional bath - was three times the size of a Jacuzzi; Yugi had already filled it with water that steamed invitingly. Unlike the bathroom at home – Western style, in shades of ecru and ivory- Yugi's bathroom was alive with colour. The floor was marble tile, white with blue veins; his walls were done in a thousand variegated shades of blue with ivy painted along the edges top and bottom. The counters matched the floors, with the tub, sink and toilet all in a rich blue-green. A ten-foot mirror adorned one wall above the counters. Living plants sat in the window and beside the door, tiny white flowers releasing a delicate perfume into the air. It had to be three times the size of the master bathroom at home, and more than five times the size of his ensuite.

Yami placed the clothing on the counters, looking around himself in awe. Yami washed quickly, finding cloth and soap ready for him. Idly he wished he could take out his contacts; a quick look around found a bottle of solution and a container ready and waiting by the sink. He sighed in relief as he took the lenses out – they really weren't meant to be worn for so long. He rubbed at his eyes as he climbed in the tub, sighing as he leaned back,the hot water reaching his chin. Warm and clean with a full belly, he fought the urge to go right back to sleep again. He still had a lot of questions for his host – and he had a decision to make. To stay here – the vote of his heart; or go home – the voice of his fears.

The water had begun to cool when he finally got out and dried off, his mind and heart still warring. Father would... but Yugi had said that Father wouldn't be able to punish him here. But when the inevitable happened and Father found him – Yami shuddered as his mind supplied the likely punishment. He hadn't been in the basement in years, and he really, really never wanted to go back there again.

His thoughts were distracted by the assortment of clothes that Yugi had provided. They were similar in build with only a couple inches difference in height, but that still meant Yugi's clothes would be a little snug…and he hoped the teen had something other than skin-tight leather to choose from.

As it was, the clothes were a pair of loose black jeans and a soft grey kangaroo top – casual clothing the like of which he hadn't worn since he turned twelve.

Dressing quickly, he put his contacts back in and left the bathroom. Yugi was sitting on the couch in the living area of the large single room, listening to his soft music and reading a book.

He looked up, amethyst eyes sparkling, and smiled. "Feel better?"

"Yes, thank you." Yami bit his bottom lip, feeling torn in two, but… "Can you take me home please?"

Yugi blinked. "If you like, but can we talk first? There are some things you need to know."

Sitting down on the red plush couch, Yami found it was one of those pieces of furniture almost impossible to get out of – thick cushions seemed to swallow him in warm softness. "So what is it that you want to talk about?"

"Yami…I know this is going to be hard for you, but I…" Yugi drywashed his hands in a nervous gesture. "I kidnapped you for a reason. I saw…what happened in your father's study."

"What?" The teenager pulled back from Yugi in shock. "You were spying on me?"

"For nearly a week." Yugi had the grace to look sheepish. "Listen... before you fly off the handle, just hear me out."

Yami bit his lip, shame and shock warring in him. "Go ahead. I may as well – it's not like you're stalking me or anything." That last came out sharp – a little sharper than he intended. Yugi blushed, lowering his eyes to the floor.

"There is no way to say this gently. I took you from that place because your father is abusing you, and I couldn't bear to see you in that situation any more."

A shocked silence descended while Yami's mind processed what Yugi had said. "Impossible." That came out flat. "Father never touches me. He's never laid a hand on me – he only punishes me when I've been bad or wrong. He knows what's best for me."

Now Yugi looked up, meeting his eye with a deadly serious expression on his face. "Do you really believe that?"

"Of course."

Yugi turned so he was facing Yami square on. "Really, you think that kind of treatment is normal? You think that punishment for breaking up with a girl your parents set you up with should include a week of silence? That a phone call from a prospective friend should demand a month of shunning?!" Yugi's voice never rose, but the intensity of his tone and gaze increased with every word until they were nearly tangible.

"Yes…that is what Father said. I disobeyed…I had to be punished."

"You didn't do a thing wrong…" Yugi growled, eyes narrowing in anger. Yami reflexively flinched away, and the other blinked in shock. "Oh, kuso. Yami, I'm sorry – I'm not angry with you. I'm angry at your father."

"Why?" Yami asked bitterly. He drew up his knees to his chest, wishing again that he could vanish. "I'm the stupid freak who can't even obey simple rules." He heard a choked sob and saw, to his utter surprise, thatthe otherhad tears in his glorious eyes.

Yugilunged over, grabbing the stunned teenager by the shoulders.

"You are NOT a freak, nor are you stupid." Yugi hissed through his tears. "Never believe it." He punctuated each statement with a small shake. "You are handsome, and clever, and damnit you are NOT a freak."

"Yes I am." Yami shook himself free of Yugi's grasp. With a shaking hand he removed one of his tinted contacts, revealing the true red-purple of his eyes. He ran his free hand through his hair. "Look. My eye colour isn't normal. These streaks are natural. I'm an ugly freak, Yugi."

But the other was staring at him, apparently not listening. Gently Yugi reached up, drawing Yami's head around until he could look into the revealed iris clearly. "Beautiful." He said softly, as though spellbound.

"What?"

"Your eyes. They're beautiful."

"But…Father said…"

"I really could not care less what your father said." Yugi brushed at the now disarranged hair that flopped into Yami's face. "You are not ugly by any stretch of the imagination, Yami. That is so far from the truth… You are beautiful." He brushed at Yami's other cheek. "Will you take the other one out for me? Please?"

"You…" Yami reached up and removed the other contact. "You mean that?" _How could anyone…can he be telling the truth? He thinks…no, Father said…I'm so confused._

"Yes." Yugi breathed. "Understand this, Yami…Every lie, every harsh word, every disparaging comment, every punishment he gave you…that was abuse. When they were not deserved, when you broke a rule that you didn't know existed…"

Yami blinked. _How did he know about that?_

"…every time he kept you at home for weeks or months without being allowed to communicate with another living soul – that was abuse, Yami. Emotional, mental… abuse of the worst kind."

Yami tried to shake his head, to deny it, but the honesty in Yugi's eyes could not be gainsaid. "But…Father said it was because he loved me…"

"He lied." Blunt words that cut throughYami's worldview.

"No…you're lying. Tell me you're lying…" _Father loves me, he must, or else…I'll have nothing, it was all for nothing…_

"He doesn't love you." Yugi stood up from the couch. "Do you say such things to one that you love? I don't think so…"

_He's right… Father never loved me. So… _"He could never love a freak like me, could he?" Yami murmured, unaware of speaking the thought aloud. Burying his face in his knees, he could feel a shaking start in the core of his self; bitter salt tears burned his eyes.

"Didn't I just say you're not a freak?" Yugi's voice seemed to change, an odd catch in his tone that Yami couldn't identify. He looked up at the other, wiping the tears clear enough that he could see Yugi standing before him, his face oddly blank. Suddenly something dark emerged behind him, spreading nine feet to either side. It took a minute for his stunned, stressed mind to realize what he was seeing.

"I think you would have to go a long ways to beat these for freakishness, boyo." Yugi grinned, flexing his huge, black leathery wings.

-end of chapter-

Thanks for reading – let me know what you think.


	5. Yami no Tenchi

Sixteen reviews for the last chapter! Woot! _does happy dance_ You are all so cool! Thanks to everyone who reviewed - replies are at the bottom!

Title: A Game of Masques

Chapter: 5/?

Author: Silvershadowfire

Rating: This chapter – PG-13. Rfor later lemons and violence.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YuGiOh, - the story is mine.

Note: This is partially inspired by Usagi's plotbunny and by a picture I have on my computer of a rather spooky looking Yugi. If you want to see it, go to the Yugi fanart section of www .janime. net .

Chapter 5 – Yami no Tenshi

Yami's jaw dropped as he stared at the massive, leathery wings. "What…what are you?"

"A demon." Yugi answered softly. "An incubus, to be precise."

Yami wiggled back into the couch as far as he could. Terror fought a war with fascination in his heart. "Demon? I…is this Hell?"

Yugi burst out laughing. "No…" he managed. "No, it's not hell – though according to some anime I've seen it's not far from it. We're in my apartment in Tokyo."

"I…" Yami blinked, not knowing what to do – his head was starting to hurt from stress and adrenaline. "What do you intend to do with me?" he asked at last. "You magicked me to get me here, right?"

"No." Yugi shook his head, folding his wings – this time they didn't vanish, just tucked onto his back. "It's a form of hypnosis – and like all hypnosis, it doesn't work if you aren't willing." He leaned forward. "Yami…don't think about what I did, or what I am…I promise I will _never_ hurt you. Don't think about what your father might do to you. I want you to think about what _you_ want to do." He shifted his posture just slightly to give Yami more space, make him comfortable. "Do you want to go home? Or would you rather stay here…with me?"

"I…" Yami shook his head. He wanted to be afraid, but…part of him still loved this… creature. It would be so tempting to just stay here, but Father… "Why did you tell me?"

Yugi cocked his head, seeming surprised at the question. "Tell you that I was a demon? Well, I figured that the best thing would be to be honest with you – after all, if you'll be living here, you'd figure it out soon enough."

Terror was losing the battle. "Can…I see them again?"

Spreading his wings, the demon took a step closer, shifting them so that they didn't hit anything. Yami gasped as light hit the seemingly pitch-black membranes, bringing forth glorious shades of blue and purple. "They are so beautiful." He breathed, almost reaching out to touch them.

"Yami." Yugi voice brought the teenager's attention back to the demon's face – those amethyst eyes glittered seriously. "I don't want to fascinate you – I want you to think!"

The teenager shrunk back reflexively, fear rising again in his stomach. _He's going to punish me now._

"Easy." Yugi soothed, flipping his wings into place on his back. "I'm sorry I snapped." He leaned forward, pausing as though waiting for something before leaning over and hugging him. Yami stiffened at the unaccustomed touch before relaxing the tiniest bit. When Yugi leaned back he stiffened again, closing his eyes and waiting for the harsh words and the blows. Instead he felt a soft touch on his face – Yugi was gently stroking his cheek. He wanted so much to believe – but did he dare? This…this demon, a supposed creature of evil, had already treated him with so much kindness…

"I swear, Yami. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, there is nothing on this Earth, in Heaven or in Hell that will touch you without going through me first."

_Flashback_

_Yami cried nearly silently in his room, trying to understand why Father hated him. Why he had to be punished so much – he hadn't been so bad with Jii-chan, had he?_

_A click told him someone had opened his bedroom door. He glanced up to see Mother walking quietly into the room. He smiled, rushing over and hugging her with all his nine-year-old strength. _

_Warm arms wrapped around him in a hug; then his mother pulled back. "Why are you crying, little Yami?" she asked. _

_"Father…Father hates me. He's mean to me." _

_Thwack! The sound of flesh hitting flesh resounded in the room, echoing in Yami's ears. It took him a moment – and the stinging, flashing pain in his cheek- to figure out that Mother had hit him. _

_"You will not speak of your father that way, young man." She snapped, stalking over to him and grabbing him by the arm. She threw him on the bed, roughly pulled down his pants and whipped his bare bottom with his own leather belt, ignoring his cries and pleas. "You will obey your father and me, and you will be grateful for it. I never want to hear such words pass your lips again, is that understood?"_

_"Yes, Mother! I'm sorry, Mother!" _

_She stopped, turning him over to face her. "I will have to get your father to teach you how to ask forgiveness properly. In the meantime…shut up!" With a final smack across the face, she left him there._

_End flashback_

Yami collapsed in Yugi's arms as the buried memory suddenly surfaced, tears pouring as the emotions he had locked away rose up within him; all the pain, the humiliation and hopelessness, leaking out of him with the salt water that flowed down his cheeks… unlike before, these tears seemed to cleanse some deep wound in his heart; it hurt, but with the poison gone, it might begin to heal. The demon held him gently, so gently – so soft and warm, and murmured comforting nothing words in his ear, and he actually felt something…good.

He felt…safe.

"I'll stay."

---------------------------

When Yami had cried himself hoarse and exhausted, Yugi tucked the mortal under a blanket on the couch, leaving him to drift into sleep if he wished. Those beautiful crimson eyes flickered open. "Yugi…" the boy whispered, reaching a hand towards him. "Where…please…I don't want to be alone."

_It's a good thing I have total control over _all_ parts of my anatomy._ Yugi thought with an inward grin as he took the outstretched limb, settling back down on the soft cushions. Yami smiled gently, a look of pure happiness that took Yugi's breath away. He ran his fingers through Yami's hair and over his shoulder and face, down into his chest. He wasn't trying to seduce the teen – over the last couple centuries he had become something of an expert at acupressure. One by one he hit the spots on Yami's body that relaxed him, delicately unknotting the muscles and soothing them with gentle rubs. The teen fought the drowsiness stealing over him, but it was a losing battle. When Yami had drifted into true sleep, Yugi stood and stretched all six limbs. Now that this battle was over, he had another one to face, this one even more personal. He looked at the sleeping teenager and felt a small smile form on his lips. Something bubbled in his chest, making him giggle. Just the thought that Yami had agreed to stay with him…he couldn't ever remember feeling such happiness. He wanted to cuddle and hug and hold the teenager forever, to take him and teach him pleasure beyond his wildest dreams, ecstasy to forever dim the horror his life had been – but at the same time he knew he couldn't.

Incubi drew their power from the mortals and demons they had sex with – the greater the pleasure, the greater the power. But from Yami… he wanted something more…but what in Hell's name could it be? What more could he want or need from any mortal, no matter how absolutely wonderful he was?

Fighting his confusion, he picked up the phone and hit a certain speedial button. After three rings, a quiet voice answered. "Moshi-moshi?"

"I don't get it…what's wrong with me?"

"That's not the best way to start a conversation, Yugi." Ryou yawned on the other end. "And how should I know what's wrong with you?"

"It's just…" It should be easier over the phone, but Yugi still had trouble getting the words out. "I've had Yami in my house for three whole days; he was in my arms and cuddled up close; I haven't even tried to seduce him. Granted, he was asleep most of the time, but still… I've been sleeping on the couch just to remove temptation."

"Oh." Ryou paused for a moment – probably speaking with his mate – before returning to the phone. "Do you still _want_ to sleep with him?"

Yugi sighed. "Ryou, I want him so bad that he's all I can think about, all I can dream of. But…I don't want him until he's ready. Why the hell am I caring about what he thinks? I know he'll enjoy it…but damnit, I want him willing. I want him to come to me…I want him…

"You want him to love you." Yugi almost dropped the phone at Ryou's words. Impossible. Incubi just didn't fall in love, and certainly not with mortals.

"But…"

"If you just wanted to fuck him, you could and get it out of your system, right?" That was Bakura – the other demon must have picked up an extension. "Hell, if you're horny just go and seduce some other mortal."

"But I don't _want_ any other mortal…I want _him_."

"You want some cheese with that whine? Either do what you want to and get it over with – or admit that your feelings might be stronger than lust and deal with it." The gaki snapped before hanging up. Yugi knew he was blushing like wildfire as Ryou laughed softly.

"I'm sorry Bakura is so blunt, but he's right, Yugi. I think you and Yami need to have a talk – and you need to really think about what you're doing. Why did you take him from his home and family? It is because you wanted him for yourself?"

"No." Yugi answered softly. "I took him because he needed to get out of that hole called a home. His father…" He swallowed. "His father was abusing him. I couldn't…Ryou, I'm confused. Why should I care? I'm just in this for his body, to teach him the wonders of pleasuring…and to get what I need from him. That's all."

"Yugi – you've never been less than honest in all the time I've known you, with others and with yourself. Now ask yourself – is that really what you have in mind?

"Love isn't going to kill you, you know. You can admit you affection for a mortal – and if you want to remain honest, you should tell him."

"And what if he doesn't feel the same about me?" Yugi asked. "What if…I know he's lusting after me, but…" He gave up.

"You're right." The words spilled out in a flood. "I am in love with him – I want to stay with him forever and ever, until the heavens and the earth are no more. His smile…." He choked on a sob. "He smiled at me; I would do anything he asked of me just to see that smile again. But Ryou…what if he doesn't return my feelings? What if it's just lust and loneliness, not love, in his heart?"

"Then he doesn't, and you will either have to stick to just being friends or leave him behind. But, Yugi…if you never tell him how you feel, then you'll never _know_ if he returns those feelings."

------------------------

_No, Father, please… Yami thought silently as he knelt in the shadows of the basement, his hands and feet shackled in place, a heavy weight on his back. I don't want to disappoint you, but it hurts… He hissed as his bladder complained. He had no idea how long he had been down here, but it had been long enough that his knees were numb, his hands had cramped from the cold concrete and his body was beginning to shake from sheer fatigue. _

_"Do you know what your name means, Yami?" Father's voice drifted out of the darkness around him. _

_"My name means Darkness, Father." He answered, voice rusty from disuse. _

_"Yes, darkness. Do you know what darkness actually is?"_

_Yami blinked. "It's the opposite of light, Father." _

_"Foolish boy." Father leaned down beside him. "Darkness is the absence of light. Light is a thing – it has substance, waves and particles that can be weighed and measured. Darkness is nothingness – it is really nonsensical for humans to give it a name, because it really doesn't exist. _

_"You are nothingness, boy. An absence of anything meaningful…and only I can give a piece of darkness like you some meaning."_

_---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- -----------_

Yugi jerked as his preternatural senses picked up whimpering from the couch; Yami was having another nightmare. "I have to go!" he said by way of goodbye before hanging up the phone and rushing to his Yami's side.

He stroked the teen's hair and face, trying to soothe him from the bad dream. Yami lay perfectly still – almost too still, his body tensed and strained, curled into an unnatural position. Tears poured down his cheeks from his flickering, restless eyes – his jaw clenched so that only incoherent moans and the occasional whimper escaped his throat.

"Yami." Yugi shook the boy's shoulder. "Yami, wake up. It's just a dream."

The teenager moaned louder, his eyes stilling for a moment before they opened.

"Yugi." He choked and shuddered again, obviously trying to get himself back under control.

"What happened?" Yugi asked, rubbing his hands gently over Yami's shoulders and back to relax him. The teenager sighed as Yugi managed to find his pressure points again, unknotting the muscles.

"Just a…bad dream." Yami closed his eyes again and melted into Yugi's grasp; it was the incubus' turn to stiffen as he fought with his urges.

_Must not jump him…must not seduce him…he is so charming like this, but I'll have to settle for…_Yugi tightened his arms around the teen, who sighed again, features going relaxed and sleepy like a cat's. Yugi let Yami relax like that for a few minutes, fighting his own desire to turn the hug into caresses and more.

Finally, as much to distract himself as anything, he spoke gently in Yami's ear. "Want to tell me about it?"

That brought Yami back out his sleepy daze. He turned to look up at the incubus seriously. "No…but it might help, right?"

Yugi chuckled. "Yes, it might help. After all, the only way to banish night fears is to face the cause of them."

"Alright…" Taking a deep breath and – unconsciously? Or not? – cuddling closer to Yugi, the teenager began.

"I'm in Father's basement – that's where he used to take me to train me in proper behaviour." Yugi bit his lip and forced his arms not to tighten protectively. "He told me – a few times - that I am the darkness, like my name says. Nothingness, a lack of anything, especially light."

"How old were you?"

"Ten…maybe eleven. It's hard to remember, sometimes. I hated the basement. He would make me kneel and chain me in place for hours at a time, teaching me my place and how to ask forgiveness…" Yami broke off; Yugi made soothing nothing noises and ran his fingers through the teen's streaked hair, loving the silky feel of it.

"He told you that the dark was nothing? Just an absence of light?" the demon inquired. Yami nodded, shoulders shaking as he fought back his sobs. "Well, I can tell you he's wrong."

"What?" Yami looked up at him, loss and hope warring in those exotic crimson-violet depths. With difficulty, Yugi pulled himself out of contemplating their beauty to answer.

"Darkness…is a complex thing. It is true that according to the laws of physics, as humans call them, darkness is just what you get when there is no light." Yugi grinned. "But I have seen other darkness, Yami…living darkness. I think some human scientists call it 'dark matter'. It is the beginning of all things, the primordial depths from which the Creator forged this and all other worlds.

"Darkness cannot be captured or measured, held or touched – but neither can spirit, courage, wisdom, hate or love. It is potential – that which has not been shaped. Darkness is powerful, Yami – for it can become anything. If you can imagine it, Darkness can shape it, can encompass it within it's endless, formless depths. There is no end, no limit to it's power. It is mystery, for it cannot be truly seen, and hides all."

"But…" Yami swallowed. "It's not bad?"

"No." A gentler smile now. "It is the opposite and complementary of Light – for Light cannot create – it illuminates that which the darkness hides, adds depth and colour and life."

"So…I'm not nothing?"

"No. Like the darkness you are named for, you can be whatever you wish to be. All humans can – it is their greatest gift." Yugi's eyes suddenly danced, his expression going crafty as though he were about to share a deep, dark secret.

"The only useless nothing in the place where you used to live is the man who thinks that child abuse is acceptable."

Yami smiled at him again.

------- ------ ------ ------

Review Replies:

Eternal SailorM: Thanks for the compliments, and I hope the Retail Hell takes it easy on you this season!

Dogmatix: Cool! Another Astrix fan! Thanks for the thought, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Rima: Thanks! I hope eight days is soon enough...

Misoka: Glad to hear you'll be reading...as long as people keep reading, I'll keep writing!  
Yami SSF: Trite, hikari. Very trite.

Black Scarab: Yes, I'm afraid I really did have to cut it off there...because I'm evil. (grin) I hope this is soon enough to avoid those unspeakably evil things...

Dreamcatcher: I love Yami too...and Yugi, for that matter. Glad you like the twist! Anyway, Malik and Marik should be showing their evil little faces next chapter.

Soul Dreamer: Thanks (blushing)

Zephyr-Sombra: Good to hear...I was so shocked when so many people reviewed...Thanks!

Classical-Storyteller: Sorry about the evil cliffhanger.  
Yami SSF: No, you're not.

Pillywiggin: Yami and Yugi forever! Yeah, they are my fave yaoi couple.

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ladywolf(Terri: I'm glad you like, and here's Yami's reaction!

Thanks again to all who read this and virual Incubus Yugi plushies to all who reviewed!

Let me know what you think of this one! Until then, ja ne!


	6. Shopping Trip!

Usagi sat quietly in his hutch, munching on a lettuce leaf and watching Lee-Ann finish her homework. Suddenly a slight tapping on the top caught his attention and he looked up to see a squirrel with brightly rainbow-coloured fur, spiked up and covered in sparkles.

:who are you?:

:got something for you.: The squirrel giggled and dropped a nut in the hutch. :eat that before she takes you out again. And you don't know who I am…in fact, you're not even sure I exist:

Usagi eyed the treat speculatively before munching it down. The plotbunny shivered as new ideas began to bloom.

Title: A Game of Masques

Chapter: 6/?

Author: Silvershadowfire

Rating: This chapter – PG-13.R for later lemons and violence.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YuGiOh, - the story is mine.

Note: They're both psycho is this one, but just to keep them straight, Malik is the violent psychotic 'yami' and Marik is the sociopathic 'hikari'.

Note 2: Remember that Ludus in Yugi's given name in this fic. It means "Game" in Latin.

Note 3: Review replies and special thanks are at the bottom.

Chapter 6 – Shopping Trip!

Motou Kyoshori paced in the antechamber of his boss' office, silently fuming. Four days. It had been four days since Yami had vanished; where the hell had the boy gone? He'd turned over every stone in Domino, but to no effect. All of Yami's schoolmates said they hadn't seen him – nor did they know of any friends the boy might have gone to. Damned ungrateful brat – how dare he defy his punishment!

But he had gone as far as he dared alone without bringing the police in on the matter – and that would not do. People today had no idea of how to properly discipline a child – if the media got hold of this, or some bleeding-heart liberal group, his reputation would be smeared. But he still needed help, someone with influence beyond Domino.

His company - KameMototu Industries – was a subsidiary to Kaiba Corp, one of the largest companies in Japan. And much as Kyoshori personally disliked the boy who had taken over the company after Kaiba Gozoboro had stepped down, he couldn't deny that Kaiba Seto was one of the greatest and most powerful men in Japan right now. He had been raised correctly – Gozoboro was not the sort to allow for any of this mamby-pambyshit – and would, if approached correctly, no doubt help with finding Kyoshori's wayward son.

"You may go in now." The secretary informed him – Kyoshori nodded curtly and took a deep breath before entering. Businessmen were never ruffled or upset.

As soon as he stepped in the room, Kaiba Seto snapped "What do you want, Motou-san?"

Inwardly snarling at the lack of repect in this whelp's tone, Kyoshori approached the heavy oak desk calmly. "I am sorry to disturb you, Kaiba-sama, but I have a problem that I require your assistance with."

"Really." Kaiba sounded bored. "I haven't got the time to help you find your brat, you know. I have a company to run, and so do you."

Kyoshori growled silently. He should have known Kaiba would have his ear to the ground. "I understand. I simply wished to humbly request you to send word to your people around Japan, and maybe a description, so that if anyone sees him…after all, he has no street sense. The boy cannot survive on his own."

"It is not my fault you raised him to be weak." Kaiba snapped. "If you've got a picture, leave it with me and I'll see what I can do – when I have the time."

"Thank you, Kaiba-sama." Kyoshori slid a picture of Yami across the desk and bowed before leaving the room, keeping his urge to snarl under control. As soon as he left the room, he spat to one side to get the taste of groveling off his tongue.

---------- ------- ----------

Seto had no time to react to the sudden appearance of two people in his office, both dressed in robes of dark indigo. One held up a golden rod, the Eye on the artifact glowing brightly. Seto's eyes became blank blue orbs as his mind was overcome by the power of the Sennen Rod. Marik stalked over to the desk, ignoring the mortal completely.

"That him?" Malik lowered the Rod now that control had been established. He glanced over at his twin.

"Yes and no." Marik answered, glancing at the picture he had taken from Seto's desk. "He kind of looks like Ludus, but…

"How 'kind of?'"

"Well, short hair and brown eyes rather than amethyst; sharper features, not quite so soft…but those are cosmetic changes. I find it hard to believe he would actually be living undercover as the child of a business man."

"You never can tell. After all, if he thought that someone might come after him… And if he was the son of someone important, it would be easier to get laid."

"Have you ever met him? Trust me, Ludus needs no help in that department." Marik smirked at the photo. "At any rate, it is a lead. Shall we go check out his house?"

"Hold on." Malik held out the Rod, focusing its power on Seto. "You will use all your resources to find 'Motou Yami.' Understand?"

"Yes." Seto's voice was flat.

"Good." Malik smirked at his twin, an evil glint in his eye. "Let's go."

----------- ------- ----------- --------- ---------

"Come on, Yami!" Yugi laughed as they left the train station at the Tokyo Megamall.

Yami smiled slightly, infected by Yugi's enthusiasm. The demon - who looked fully human again, and a young, hyper human at that – ran ahead and bounced back, taking Yami's hand and pulling him along.

After his conversation with Yugi he hadn't quite fallen asleep again, but instead had drifted into a kind of relaxed half-daze, reveling in the fact that he was actually being held by his secret love. They had talked for a while longer, just about inconsequential things.

When Yami had let slip that he had not been out at a mall since he was nine – and in fact, hadn't gone shopping or to an arcade, or as Yugi so succinctly put it, done _anything_ fun since then, Yugi had insisted they spend the day at the mall.

Yami had to admit he needed clothes – but he felt a little guilty using Yugi's money.

"NO BROODING!" Yugi grinned playfully to take the sting out of his words. The incubus waved his finger under Yami's nose in a mock-scolding manner. "This is a day of fun. And don't worry about money – you need a whole new wardrobe, and I have lots to spare. Come on!"

He steered them to what must be his favorite shop – the Leather Store. Yami shook his head as Yugi dragged him inside.

"Yugi…" he started. The demon ignored him, rushing from rack to rack in excitement. "Yugi!" he tried again, shocking himself when he actually raised his voice.

"What is it, Yami?" Yugi asked, looking at him with a confused expression. He was still holding onto a pair of black leather pants Yami knew he's never be able to squeeze into.

"I…don't think that leather is my thing," he stammered slightly.

"I'm sorry." Yugi blushed, lowering his eyes. "I just…never mind. What store do you want to go to?"

A decision. Yami blinked…other than his choice to stay with Yugi, he hadn't made one of those without Father's advice since…since he was twelve. And he had never been allowed to choose something as significant as his mode of dress.

_Clothes are a weapon, boy. Never appear in pubic in inappropriate clothing._

"Earth to Yami." Yugi waved a hand in front of his face. He snapped out of his memory before it could overtake his mind completely.

"Sorry, Yugi. Um…I really don't know what I would like. I usually wear my school uniform or a suit."

"Hmm." Yugi dragged him out of the store and stood them in the middle of the hallway. Yami could make out at least a dozen stores that sold clothing.

"Pick one." Yugi gestured grandly. "And don't think about what I would like either." He added, as though he could read the teenager's mind. "Or what your father would like. This is about you."

Just like when he had chosen to stay with Yugi. Yami took a deep breath, looking at each store in turn. Finally he picked a place that sold clothing similar to what he had on now – jeans and a sweatshirt.

"You got it!" Yugi grinned.

Four hours of shopping later, they were carrying so many bags they needed to use a shopping cart – which was currently in danger of overflowing. Yugi seemed a little bit tired – Yami was exhausted, but happy. He didn't realize that such a simple thing as shopping for his own clothes could be so – exhilarating. He pushed the cart with one hand, a Rocky Road ice-cream cone in the other. He savored the cold treat, not losing a single drop; he couldn't remember the last time Mother had permitted him anything that could be considered 'bad' for you. And he hadn't had Rocky Road since he'd left Jii-chan's house.

"Gotta go use the boy's room." Yugi tapped the cart to get his attention. "Meet me at the food court, okay?"

"Sure." Yami nodded, watching the demon sprint off. He'd never thought of supernatural creatures having to do that…but then, if something went in…

He blushed slightly. That brought him around to other…biological thoughts. Another reason he didn't want tight leather pants was the fact that he had a hard-on three or four times a day now; usually when he started daydreaming about his new roommate. Watching Yugi _walk_ was a turn on…and when he smiled, or when his lids drooped in a sexy expression, or…God. He was getting hard now. Frantically he willed his body to behave as he resolutely turned his attention to his destination.

Yami had time to find a table before Yugi showed up, grinning from ear to ear.

"Got something for you!" he proclaimed in a sing-song voice, hiding his hands behind his back.

"For me? But…"

"Saw this in the window, and I just had to get it for you." Suddenly his demeanor changed from teasing and mischievous to earnest and almost…nervous. "I hope you like it." Quickly he brought his hands around, holding out a box that appeared to be made from solid gold, with strange carvings on the outside – they almost looked Egyptian.

Yami stared at the gift, not knowing what to say. "Yugi…it's beautiful." He managed to stammer. Carefully he took it from the demon, who slid into the seat across from him as Yami placed the box on the table.

"Open it up." Yugi coaxed, watching him expectantly. "I remembered something you told me on the train, about how much you loved games and puzzles. I have a whole bunch of games at home – but I saw this and I thought that you had to have it."

Yami opened the box to reveal a jumble of golden pieces. Gently he reached in and pulled one out, admiring the glitter of the gold and the smooth coolness of the metal. The pieces seemed to glow with a pale aura under the florescent lights; it reminded him of Yugi dancing, and he felt his heart give a little flutter.

"Thank you, Yugi." He glanced back at the demon. Yugi smiled that angelic smile of his, eyes dancing with delight. In that instant, Yami was sorely tempted to just lean over and kiss him.

But then someone knocked the buggy with his clothes in it, sending them cascading to the floor. Yami shrieked, dropping the piece back into the box in order to rescue the clothes.

----- ----- ----- -----

"SURPRISE!"

Yami just about jumped out of his skin when the door to Yugi's apartment opened and the wave of sound blasted out.

Yugi just grinned and bowed Yami into the apartment.

Someone had taken advantage of the fact they had been at the mall to redecorate – candles burned on nearly every flat surface, filling the air with scent. The kitchen counters almost groaned with food, and at least half-a-dozen people were watching him.

Yami gulped. He wasn't used to being the centre of attention like this, but at least none of it felt bad- just a little awkward.

The next few minutes passed in a blur as he was introduced to all the guests:

A tall blonde with messy hair in jeans, a white T-shirt and a contagious grin accosted him first.

"Hey, I'm Jounouchi Katsuya – you can call me Jou if you like. And this is my sister Shizuka. Nice to meet a new friend of Yugi's."

"Yes, it is nice to meet you." Shizuka added softly, bowing. Her hair was a darker shade than Jou's and her eyes a strange green-grey. She was in a short-jumpsuit, her hair reaching almost to her waist. Her Japanese was very formal.

Right behind the blond came a slightly taller man dressed in a white shirt and brown pants, his dark brown hair done in a single point. "Hey. Name's Honda – and this is my girlfriend Miho." A pretty blonde in a school uniform with a yellow ribbon tied in her hair smiled at him and waved.

"Yami!" Yugi called, towing two white-haired men who could be twins towards him. Jou and Honda backed off to give them room. They were dressed identically in skin-tight black jeans and midnight blue turtleneck sweaters.

"These are my good friends; Ryou and Bakura." The former gave Yami a friendly smile – the latter gave him a wicked grin. "And this" Yugi pointed a thumb over his shoulder – "is Otogi." The last turned out to be a black-haired man with vivid green eyes, dressed like a gamer-punk.

"Nice…to meet you all." Out of habit, Yami kept his eyes downcast and tried to smooth out his clothing. No one seemed to notice his nerves – Yugi took his hand and led him to middle of the room, where he grinned and put the stereo remote in Yami's hand. "It's your party – pick the music."

Pretty soon things were in full swing. Yami could see none of them were drinking, but no one seemed to mind – everyone was laughing, talking and generally enjoying themselves. They also – especially Otogi, Ryou and Yugi – took pains to make sure that the teen wasn't excluded.

As soon as he could, he slipped into the bathroom and sat on the toilet, trying to gather his whirling thoughts. They had all been so friendly – had it been just for Yugi's sake, or had they really meant it?

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

"He's lovely, Yugi." The demon turned from watching Jounouchi mock-fight with Honda to meet Otogi's eye. Other than Ryou and Bakura, Otogi was the only other demon in the group – andlike Yugi, he was an incubus.

"Yes, he is." The comment came out sharper than he had intended, but then he had noticed the way that Otogi had been eyeing the teenager most of the evening.

"I don't suppose you would consider sharing…"

Yugi growled. "Don't even THINK of that. He's mine, understand? No-one is touching him except me. You can just keep your hands to yourself!"

Otogi's eyes went huge. "Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

Yugi snapped his mouth closed, stomach clenching. "I'm sorry." He managed finally. "It's just…I can't bear the thought of anyone with him except me." He glanced up at his friend, slight shame making his cheeks turn pink. "I shouldn't have snapped."

"You…you're in love with him, aren't you?" Otogi sounded shocked.

"Yes."

"Well, I didn't expect that." The incubus grabbed him by an arm and tugged the smaller demon away from the ruckus and out onto the deck. "Okay…how much did your parents tell you?"

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "I am fairly familiar with the birds and the bees, Otogi."

"Not that. I mean about demon mating practices."

"Well…" Yugi paused. "They told me that the chances of falling in love with a mortal were practically nil…"

"Right." Otogi sighed and leaned against the banister. "Listen close, kiddo."

Yugi didn't take offence that the term. Compared to Otogi, who was nearly 1800, he _was_ a kid.

"There is something demons do when they want to mate for life…it's a magical blood-bond. Something like the human's marriage, but…well, in manifests a little differently in everyone. And I have no idea how or if it will work with a mortal. But the important thing is that right now, any demon could claim Yami if they could get him away from you. With the bond, you could use your power to protect him no matter where in the multiverse you are. And if something happened to him, you would be able to track him down.

"But there is a down-side. Both sides must be willing. If you tried to establish the blood-bond on Yami unwilling, he would be nothing better than your mindless slave."

"Does that mean…"

"Yes. Ryou and Bakura told me that Malik and Marik are hunting you. If they catch him, they could bond him unwilling and use him against you…and vice versa."

Yugi swallowed. In the main apartment, he saw that Yami had emerged from the bathroom, and was now seated between Ryou and Shizuka, eating some crackers, occasionally giggling at something one or the other said. He looked- almost happy.

"Yugi." Otogi said, catching his attention again. "Think hard. Do you really love him? I know you want him…but is it really love?"

"Yes." Yugi answered, never taking his eyes from the teenager. "I haven't taken him that way, Otogi. I'm waiting until he's ready. But I don't want anyone to take him away from me." He glared up at the other demon, his voice firming. "No one will _ever_ take him from me."

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Much later, the guests gone and the apartment cleaned, Yugi sat on the edge of his bed, watching Yami sleep. The teenager had collapsed after the party, exhausted from the day and emotional stress; he'd actually fallen asleep on the couch – Yugi had tucked him into the bed, taking the opportunity to touch the teen's soft skin and run his fingers through that silky hair. He could feel himself hardening as he listened to his love breathe.

_I could make him mine._ Yugi thought, fiddling with a sharp-pointed knife in one hand. Otogi had told him the ritual – it was stunningly simple. _I could do it now, and he would never leave me, and we would be happy together – I know we would. _A single drop of blood in Yami's mouth, a single drop of Yami's in his, a few words to focus the binding…_So easy…and he would be mine, and I would keep him safe and loved for ever and ever. _

Beside him, the teenager began to moan. Yugi's sensitive nose caught a whiff of pheromones… Yami was having a wet dream.

_But…even if I love him, and even if he loves me, would he want to be bound to a demon? Would he be willing to take the chance that theremight be side-effects, because he is mortal?_

Yami groaned louder. "Yugi…" he whispered, hands moving jerkily under the sheets as his body sought release. "God… yes… please."

_But I would be able to keep him…and he would be happy, he would, I know he would…and his father would never be able to take him from me._ The knife hovered over Yugi's fingers, waiting to draw his black demon blood, to draw Yami's.

"YUGI!" Yami screamed in the height of his ecstasy. The demon groaned, dropping the knife on the floor and burying his hands in his hair.

_I can't. That would be worse than what his father did to him…at least then Yami still had his own thoughts. I want his love…not the mindless adoration of a spell-bound slave. _Beside him, the teenager fell into deeper sleep again. Yugi shivered and rubbed his eyes, suddenly cold, trying to still the guilt at what he had been contemplating. _I love you, Yami…_

------------------------------------

End of chapter 6.

Special thanks to Cha Oseye Tempest Thrain, my beta, without whom this chapter (and every other chapter) would not be as good as it is.

Review Replies: Sixteen again! You guys seem to be liking this story or something.

Amber Eyes23: I'm glad you like. There will be a lemon, and don't worry. I have a few interesting things in mind…just be sure to read the whole thing!

Black Scarab: He does have great self-control, doesn't he? Too bad it driving the poor guy up the wall!

Shadow-lover: I hope you continue reading, and here's the next chapter!

Reshin: Thanks!

Soul Dreamer: (jumps from being poked) Okay, okay, stop poking, here's the next chapter!

Lisa: (waves hand in front of face) Hello? I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and part of the inspiration for this story was to make Yugi the powerful/supernatural/tougher one.

Sansi: (glomp) Tomodachi! Thanks so much for the support! (waves to audience and points to Sansi) She's my second beta!

Yugi and Mai: Marik is the hikari and Malik is the yami. I try to keep that consistant though all my fics. Glad you like the story and my descriptions!

Pillywiggin: Sorry, they didn't…yet. But they will!

Nekostar 2: Yeah, I'm having fun with Yami like this. It's nice to see Yugi as the support system.

Misoka: Thanks! And I'm glad you found my darkness theory interesting. I've always loved the shadows anyway, and the thought of them as the raw material of creation is actually the basis for a lot of creation myths around the world. (If you read between the lines)

xxhot-and-sexy-xx: Here you go!

ailisa d. frieson: Here's more!

Sarah Costa: Yep, as you can see, Yami's father isn't just sitting on his duff waiting for Yami to come home.

Ladywolf(Terri: Thanks (blush)

Eternal SailorM: Yeah, I want to cuddle Yami too…but there's this jealous demon I have to get past first…Anyway, here's the next chapter!

Thanks for all the support, and to all the people reading this! Please drop me a line and let me knowwhat you think.

Je ne!


	7. Assembling the Pieces

Title: A Game of Masques

Chapter: 7/?

Author: Lee-Ann Shadowdancer (AKA Silvershadowfire)

Rating: This chapter – PG-13.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YuGiOh, - the story is mine.

Chapter 7 – Assembling the Pieces

Yami woke suddenly, emerging from some dream that faded swiftly beyond recall. Pulling aside the curtains, he glanced at the clock on the wall – nearly ten in the morning. The apartment was eerily quiet as Yami stood, stretching the kinks out of his body.

Stomach growling, Yami walked to the kitchen, listening curiously for any sign of Yugi. He question was answered when he found a note on the counter next to a bowl of rice and fried eggs under a metal dish.

_**Yami:**_

_**Gone to get groceries – we're running short. I should be gone for a few hours. I hope you don't mind. There's a bento box in the fridge for lunch, and I promise I'll bring us something home for dinner. Anyway, if you get lonely, there's a list of phone numbers by the telephone if you want to call anyone – my cell will be on as well. See you later!**_

_**Love, Yugi.**_

Yami blinked at the final salutation, feeling a blush rising in his cheeks. His stomach rumbled again, reminding him that it needed to be fed; he finished the meal quickly, placing the dishes in the sink before going to Yugi's closet for a change of clothes.

The closet, next to the bathroom, was a clever affair – the door was hidden in the wall paneling. He'd found it himself yesterday, impressing his housemate.

Pressing the hidden switch, Yami watched the door slide aside and walked into the huge space. Maybe it was simply the wings, but Yugi seemed to have a need for all the spaces in his house to be open. This walk-in closet was no exception.

Yugi must have rearranged things this morning before he had gone out; one half of the racks and hangers held Yugi's clothes; on the other hung his own new clothes, mostly jeans of various shades and sweaters or sweatshirts. He had bought a few silk dress shirts at Yugi's insistence, and a pair of tight-fitting leather pants, but he didn't think he'd ever have the ability to wear them in public without blushing bright red.

Grabbing a change of clothes, Yami left the closet and headed to the bathroom. On the way he heard the telephone ring.

_I wonder if that's Yugi. _he thought as he answered it. "Moshi moshi?"

"Hey, Yami!" Jounouchi's voice sounded cheerful. "Listen, I was wondering if you and Yugi wanted to go to the arcade this afternoon, after school."

"Um." Yami had no idea what to say. He'd never gotten such an invitation before, and if he'd had, he wouldn't have had the freedom to say yes. "I…don't know. Yugi isn't home right now…"

"Well, you wanna come?"

"Yes, but…"

"Great! We'll pick you up at the apartment about 3:30, kay? Later!" And the call was lost as Jounouchi hung up. Yami stared at the receiver for a long moment, wondering what he was supposed to do now. Maybe… He glanced over at the list of number and dialed the one for Yugi's cell.

"Moshi moshi." He heard on the other end after a couple rings.

"Hello, Yugi." Yami started. "Um…Jounouchi invited us out to the arcade after school."

"Cool!" Yugi replied. "I don't think I can make it – but go ahead if you want to. Have fun! There's some money in the cupboard inside the coffee can. Help yourself."

"Are you sure?" Yami really couldn't believe his ears.

"Yeah. I'm not gonna hold you prisoner in my apartment, Yami. Have fun; the guys are great company, so don't worry."

"Alright… What time should I be home?"

"Dinner's at six, so anytime before then. If you get delayed, give me a call, 'kay?"

"Sure..."

"Bye!"

"Goodbye…" Yami blinked again as the phone line buzzed at him. He hung it up and turned away, back towards his initial destination, an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach.

It took him a moment to realize the sensation was excitement.

----- ----- ----- ----- ---- --- ---- ---

Yugi hung up the phone and flapped his wings faster, taking some solace in the feeling of the wind through his hair. He was almost at his destination, and just as glad Yami hadn't asked where he was.

The note hadn't been a lie – they did need food, but it didn't take him all day to shop for groceries. No, he had another plan. He needed to know what Yami's father had been doing for the last few days. The last thing he and his love needed was an unpleasant surprise.

Swooping down on the house where Yami's parents lived, he landed quietly in the tree outside Yami's old window, slipping inside. He used his powers to make himself invisible and intangible to mortals before heading through the house to the study.

To his shock, the house seemed to be deserted; eerie silence reigned in the hallways. As he approached the study, sound finally met his ears – the sound of papers moving. Ducking his head in the half-open door, the incubus nearly had a heart attack on the spot.

Moving around in the room was not Motou Kyoshori, but Marik and Malik! The twin hunter-demons were searching through the human's personal effects, while Kyoshori himself sat at the desk, eyes blank and unseeing.

Yugi whipped back around the doorframe, trying not to breathe too loud as he fought down a panic attack. They hadn't seen him…oh Hell, what was he supposed to do now? He couldn't stay – they would smell his fear if he lingered here too long.

_Idiot…you can control your bodily functions! _He fought back raw panic, trying to concentrate. Gradually his breathing slowed; his heartbeat returned to normal. He fought his body's natural urge to sweat; they would pick that up for sure.

He closed his eyes and concentrated more; if they decided to speak, he had to know. Had they found him? Why were they looking though Yami's father's things?

"I don't see anything here." One of them said at last. Yugi peeked around the doorway.

A different voice came from the older brother, Malik, the one with the wilder hair and golden staff. Legend said that he had clawed his way out of his mother's womb, making way for his younger twin. "Alright, mortal…were you there at Yami's birth?"

"Yes." Kyoshori answered dully. Under different circumstances, Yugi might have taken satisfaction out of seeing Yami's father in that situation. He was obviously spellbound.

"Damn." Malik growled slightly as his hands fisted in frustration. "We know Ludus was here – I can smell his scent."

"Yes, but it's old, brother." Marik pointed out. "He might have been here, but not for long, and only once. It isn't near as strong as it was on the tree outside, nor even in the boy's room. No, I think that Yugi was here…and that he took a fancy to the mortal boy, and kidnapped him."

_shitshitshit_ It wouldn't take them long to figure out where he had gone. Tokyo was the largest city near to Domino, and with their abilities to track…

_Yami, I might be late for dinner… _A gamble, but at this point he had no choice. He had to lay a false trail away from Tokyo – clear south to Okinawa if he had to – then hide his trail and double back north. Thanks be to the Nine Circles they couldn't track him by scent when he was in the air.

So he turned and headed for the front door. The thought of what he was about to do almost made him physically ill, but…

_I'm not important…but I can't leave Yami unprotected. _Then he quite deliberately opened the door, crept out and slammed it behind him.

His ears caught the sound of running feet – he was already in the air and accelerating when the door below crashed open.

"It's him!" Malik snarled and two wingbeats thundered to life behind him. Yugi looked over his shoulder; both demons were hot on his tail, and gaining. They were faster than he – he hadn't counted on that. But they might not be as agile.

_Please don't let them be as agile. _He waited until they were almost on him, then folded his wings and dived, spinning in the air to fly back the way he'd come. He heard cursing as they banked to come after him; Yugi dropped again, turning slowly east and south. He stretched his wings, flying low until he saw clouds dotting the clear blue sky. Now he strained upwards as fast as he could, his breathing harsh in the thinning air. The wingbeats were closing again – he couldn't win this race. His spine tingled – at the last moment he dodged. Marik's claws almost hit his wing as he rolled.

A flash of gold was all the warning he had – abruptly Malik was in front of him, pointing a golden scepter in his direction. He screamed in reflex, backwinging abruptly; the twins had him boxed between them. A stream of dark light gathered around the scepter, lashing out.

One option left; Yugi closed his wings and dropped like a rock.

The twin demons stared at him in shock for a moment; Yugi grinned as he fell, the wind rushing through his hair. Far, far below the sea glimmered like diamonds on an endless field of turquoise.

_Come on, come after me…_ Yugi watched, eyes watering as the two hunter demons got over their surprise, diving after him. Inwardly he grinned as he gathered up his power and suddenly opened a portal to Hell – between himself and his pursuers. With a startled squawk, Marik and Malik vanished. Yugi turned the fall into a swoop – one wing flared with sudden pain - opening a second portal, this one to the island of Okinawa. They would be able to trace the magic – and have expected him to go through it.

Reorienting himself, the incubus flew hard towards the mainland. He had to get back to Tokyo – he had to get back to Yami.

----- ----- ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ---- ---- -----

Yami sat on the bed, fiddling with the puzzle Yugi had given him yesterday. The gold pieces seemed to slide and twist under his fingers, foxing his eyes and hands. They just didn't want to go together. Only one piece remained constant – a single golden plaque holding a strange Eye that seemed to stare at him, even following him around the room when he stopped to get his lunch. He'd been working on the puzzle since that morning, and at lunch had managed to fit together exactly two pieces.

Now it was nearly time for Jou to pick him up, and he had managed to fit in a third piece. Sighing, he sat back and put the puzzle back in the case, straightening the bedclothes. A knock on his door announced Jou as he was finishing up.

"Hold on!" he called. Grabbing his new jean jacket and the apartment key, Yami opened the door. He gave Jou and Honda a shy smile before following them out of the apartment.

"So you been to the arcade much before?" Jou asked.

"No…not since I was nine." The teenager admitted. "I used to be pretty good, but it's been such a long time…"

"Don't worry about it." Honda smirked. "I'm sure you can still beat Jounouchi here."

"Hey!"

Honda smirked. "You are SO easy, Jou."

"Very funny." The blond sulked.

Yami couldn't help it. He broke down in laughter.

----- ----- ----- ----- ------ ----- -----

Yugi slipped in the window to his apartment, carrying five bags of groceries and nursing a sprained wing. He winced as he put the bags down on the counter. Yami wasn't home from the arcade – it was barely past four. His wing twitched as he tried to tuck in behind his back; he hissed at the pain. Damn hunter demons…

Putting the groceries away, his eye fell on the note he had left for Yami. _Damn. I forgot to pick up dinner for us. Well, I guess we'll just have to order out._ He sighed. This would be the last night they dared spend in this apartment – the game he had played with the twins would only keep them confused for a little while. He had an apartment in Kyoto – he and Yami would have to move there and lay very low for a while.

Just when he and Yami had been settling down. _Damn Malik and Marik anyway!_ He silently snarled, then hissed again as his wing twitched.

_I hope Yami doesn't take this too badly – but I don't think we have a choice. I…I should tell him the truth and let him…leave…if he wants. After all, if Malik and Marik get hold of him… _The very thought of the hunter demons with their claws in Yami made his guts churn with anger and terror. _But if I keep him with me, that's just what might happen – it might be better if I give him some money, enough to keep him for a while, and vanish. I don't want to…but it might be the best for him. Until this wing of mine heals, I can't protect him against other demons…and I can't ask Otogi or Bakura and Ryou to stick their necks out for me. Damnit damnit damnit… _Yugi growled, slamming his fist into the counter. He could feel the tears boiling up, threatening to blur his vision. His head and his heart pulled him in different directions; angrily he wiped the tears away, heading for the closet. At least he could pack their clothes.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----

Yami's fingers flew over the controls, the delicate balance of strategy and speed consuming his concentration. His heart pumped adrenaline through his body, the whole world seeming to slow as he dodged and destroyed the enemy ships. Guiding his spaceship through mazes of flying asteroids and waves of enemies, he sought the mother ship and final victory.

There. Yami's hands twitched, lining up the shot with eerie accuracy. His violet-red eyes narrowed in concentration as he breathed out and squeezed the firing trigger. Red light blazed out, hitting the target on the enemy ship once, twice, three times. Dodge the return fire. Aim…fire. Three more hits on the enemy. Evade. Blast the wave of enemy ships from the left and right. Aim… Fire!

The explosion of light and noise nearly blinded him as the mothership dissolved in a ball of white fire. A second explosion of cheers came from outside, bringing his attention back to the real world as the simulator reset itself and the screen in front of him displayed "Congratulations, you have the number 1 high score." He hit the buttons to imput his name while he waited for his hearbeat to slow and his breathing to even out. Even so, a little part of his brain was gloating.

_I've still got it! _ That was how it used to be – he had beaten every game in the arcade by the time he was nine, before Father had come. Just as he had beat his grandfather at Go, and Chess, and a dozen other games of chance and skill.

"WOW!" Jou practically jumped into the simulator with him, slapping him on the back. "I have NEVER seen that before! Your first time on the game and you beat it! Man, that was truly amazing!" A dozen other people he didn't know were still cheering, filling Yami with an odd, warm glow.

"Thanks." He murmured. "What time is it, Jou?"

"Nearly five – Honda has to get home."

"Right…so do I, dinner's at six." Climbing out of the simulator, Yami grinned at the now dispersing crowd and followed his companions out of the arcade. The feeling of victory cascading through his body warmed him and made him shiver at the same time. He could feel a giggle trying to emerge from his throat as Jou, Honda and he walked down the street towards the train station.

_Businessmen do not giggle, Yami. They do not laugh or smile, unless in a social situation where it is called for. You have to control your emotions if you ever want to be anything._ The urge to giggle died as Father's words ran through his mind.

Caught in his thoughts, Yami didn't notice that Jou had stopped until he ran into the other teenager. He stared for a long moment at the back of Jou's green coat, then up at what the other was looking at, and felt panic rising in his mind.

Big men, three of them, with black sunglasses and suits, standing like a wall before the three teens. Yami didn't have to look back to know that three more had come up behind them.

"You are Yami Motou?" the one in the lead asked. Yami gulped, his eyes flickering to passers-by who sidled past the scene with gazes averted. No help would come from them, and he would have to go back to Father, and face his punishment.

Fear balanced with defiance for a long moment before suddenly Jou spoke up.

"What if he is? Out of my way, suit, before I mess you up."

"President Kaiba has asked us to bring in Mr. Motou. I understand his father is quite worried about him. Now get out of the way, punk."

"No." Honda said quietly. "What are you planning on doing? You pull any weapons, and people will panic. You lay a finger on any of us and we'll fight back. Anyway it goes, someone will call the cops. And I don't think that Kaiba's money will help you while they're arresting you for disturbing the peace." Honda paused. His tone lowered slightly. "Now you go back to your boss and tell him that Yami isn't going back to his father…he's quite happy away from the fucker, thank you very much. And if Kaiba knows what's what, he'll cut Motou Kyoshori's no good bastard ass loose to swing."

The suits paused for a moment, which was all the time that Jou and Honda needed to push past them, Yami trailing along behind.

"Come on." Jou grabbed Yami's hand at the wrist. "We have to lose them, or they'll follow us back to Yugi's apartment."

"You make it sound as though they won't already be there." Yami answered, surprised by the bitterness in his own voice. He had been free…

"They aren't." Honda stated. "If they did, they would have grabbed us there. I think that one of their snitches spotted you and phoned in, and they just waited until we left. Now come on!" He grabbed Yami's other arm, and the three turned a sharp corner down an alley.

"We know every back street of this part of town." Jou noted. "They won't be able to catch up unless we stand still. Are they still following us, Honda?"

"Yes…" the brunette answered sharply. "They are, and I don't think they'll give up soon. Plan 2?"

"Yeah, that should work." Jou grinned at Yami. "No matter what, don't lose track of us. Honda and I will get you back to Yugi's; that's a promise."

"Okay…" Yami forced his feet to move faster. He was shocked that Jou and Honda would go to such lengths to help him, but also grateful. _I have to tell Yugi…I have to get out of here. I don't want him to get into trouble with Father, and if someone else found out that he's a demon, then he… _Visions of Yugi stuck in a lab somewhere in Kaiba Corps labs ran through his head and he shuddered. No, he would get back in time to warn Yugi…

They emerged from another alley, Jou watching their surrounding closely while Honda drifted behind, evidently keeping an eye on their pursuers. Suddenly a group of kids in gang colours emerged from the sides, surrounding them. Jou grinned, while Yami tried not to look too conspicuous.

"Jou." Their leader smirked. "Long time no see. Didn't I tell you not to come back here unless you wanted to die?"

"Yeah, something like that, Higuna. Listen. I've got a bunch of thugs on my tail, and I want them off my tail, understand?"

"Let me get this straight – you want us to do you a favour?"

"Nah…I'm doing you a favour. The suits are from Kaiba Corp."

A strange light flared in Higuna's eyes at Jou words, and he grinned wildly. "Alright, Jou. You just got yourself a free pass through our territory…but you're still not forgiven, understand?"

"Yeah…got it. Honda, Yami, come on." The blond led them through the gang members and out the other side, emerging not far from the train station.

"Gotta love connections." Jou gloated. Honda grinned at Yami's questioning look.

"Jou used to be a member." He explained. "Then he quit, and beat up enough of them, that they let him go. Higuna's old man was fired by Kaiba's old man – he believes in the old ways, so frankly those suits will be lucky to get out of there alive."

"Nah, they'll live." Jou disagreed as they paid for their tickets. "Higuna's not a killer…but they might wish they were dead."

- - - - --- -- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

The clocks in the school nearby where chiming the hour when Yami slipped the key in the lock and let himself into Yugi's apartment. The first thing he noticed was the bags sitting by the door; the second thing was the music blaring from the sound system. He walked, glancing at the stereo in the living room.

Yugi was dancing again. Instead of his usual sensual, joyful style, a deep and aching pain came through the movements. Yami had to blink back tears at the sorrow and longing on the incubus' face.

_You see in my dreams…_

_We climb, and climb, and at the top we fly_

_Let the world go on below us; we are lost in time…_

_And I don't know really what it means…_

_All I know is that you love me…in my dreams._

Instinct urged the teenager; he stepped up behind Yugi, placing his hands on the other's hips. Moving with him. Yugi sighed, shifting so his body pressed flush against Yami's, his head drooping back to nuzzle his dance partner. Yami had to smile – Yugi was just so innocently charming.

The dance continued. Yami licked his dry lips as he danced, remembering when Yugi had taught him at the school – it seemed a lifetime ago now. A shiver ran down his spine at the closeness, contrasting the warmth of Yugi's body against him. He wanted to do something…needed something that he knew Yugi could give him. But would he? Could this beautiful demon love a mere mortal? As the last notes faded, he gave into impulse and kissed Yugi's upturned lips. _At least I will have this to remember…When the inevitable happens and Father finds me, at least I will have this to treasure._

Yugi stopped dead in his tracks, eyes snapping open. He broke the kiss, spinning in Yami's arms until he faced his erstwhile dance partner. And instead of hiding behind his walls of embarrassment and fear, Yami met Yugi's eyes levelly. _ I love you. And even if you never return that love, I will always love you._

One blink, two blinks – Yugi's expression turned from shock to pure joy which shone in his eyes; tears spilled down his cheeks as he literally squeezed the air out of Yami in a massive hug. Then he pulled back, grabbed Yami's face, and took his lips in a mind-blowing kiss.

The teenager almost fainted right there. Feelings he had been keeping under control for too long boiled up – he found himself enveloping Yugi in a massive hug of his own, his own tears pouring down his face. "I love you." He said aloud. "I love you, yami no tenshi."

"And I you." Yugi lifted his hand to Yami's cheek, stroking away the tears. "You are so beautiful."

"Really?"

"Really." Yugi leaned over and kissed him again, open-mouthed. The demon's breath tickled Yami's lips – he opened his mouth, a tightness in his chest making him gasp for air. Yugi pressed closer, his arms wrapping around Yami's waist. The teenager moaned at the contact.

"I can show you, beloved." Yugi broke the kiss – the words whisped into Yami's ear. "I can take you where you've never gone before, but…"

"But?"

"But…only if you want me to."

_He won't force me into anything. _Yami didn't even have to think. Yugi was leaving this decision up to him – nothing the incubus had or would say could prove his love more than that one thing.

_Yugi…wants me for myself. As myself. Tomorrow I'll have to leave him, but tonight… _"Yes." He breathed. The tightness in his chest dropped lower, gripping his stomach as butterflies danced with nerves. "I want you to…show me. Please. Show me I'm actually real…I want to _feel_…"

Warm lips touched the delicate skin of his neck – Yami shivered. "You will." Yugi's voice smoldered with desire. "I promise, love…you will feel everything."

----- ---- ---- ----- ---- ---- ----- ---- ---- ----- ---- --- -----

Okay, this is how it has to work. I can't post the lemon, thanks to FFnet's rules, because trust me, it's NC17. But…everyone who has (or will) reviewed and left me an e-mail address will get a copy emailed to them. If you would like to read it and don't want to review, e-mail me at leeann(underscore)shadowdancer at yahoo dot com. And if you have reviewed and don't want a copy, it will be quite clear in the re: section what it concerns, so just delete it and not harm done, ne?

Anyway, Happy New Year to all! Let me know what you think!


	8. Plans and Rituals

_Usagi the plot-bunny hops into the computer room, takes one look, and hops back out, returning a few minutes later with Yami Silvershadowfire in tow. _

"_What is the problem?" the yami demands, then blinks at the sight of her hikari on the ground in a dead faint. Taking a look at the total of reviews, Yami Silvershadowfire smirks a little and shakes her head._

Title: A Game of Masques

Chapter: 8/?

Author: Lee-Ann Shadowdancer (AKA Silvershadowfire)

Rating: This chapter – PG-13.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YuGiOh, - the story is mine.

Note 1: Since Silvershadowfire is currently unconscious, today's notes and review replies are by her yami.

Note 2: Once again, Malik is the psychotic 'yami' and Marik is the entirely too sane 'hikari'.

Note 3: Because she is a horrible person,Silver keeps forgetting this – Kudos to her beta and best friend, Cha Oseye Tempest Thrain, without whom this story, and none of the others, would be nearly as good as they are.

Note 4: Anyone who did not get the lemon promised in Chapter 7, e-mail me direct – don't review – at leeann (underscore) shadowdancer at yahoo dot com and I will send it to you.

Review replies: THANK YOU to everyone who has been reading the story and hugs to all who took the time to review! And to all the people who e-mailed me privately.

Fairy of Fortune, Chelley Angel, Rachel Dracon, Aerith Queen of Cetra (You'll have to get in line to kill Yami's dad, I'm afraid.), J, sakura-dream (hands you drool bucket), cute-little-Yugi(here's the update, for the sake of your sanity), Kaia, Kairi-san, Silver Kitsune no Tenshi, Pharaoh'sEgyptianArabian, Chibi-ichii, AngelPrincess17, MahouBunnyBell. Zakaya Yahaya-Winner, ailisa d. frieson, Game Queen(No! Not the puppy eyes!) ChiliBonFairy, alisonette(Yay! Favs list! And thanks for the compliment about the abuse), Millie Ishtar Motou, Washu-Chan, niichan, SoulDreamer, Yami Evelyn(I'll send you a copy when it's done, k?) selene, Yllyana(Angst drives me crazy too), Yoko-obssessor, anonymous, Sapphire Siren, Misoka(e-mail me! I couldn't get your address. And Silver might write a side-story showing how Jou and Honda met up with Yugi), Youko Kara, tati, tiger witch, xxhot-and-sexyxx(takes my hikari about a week to write a chapter and a day to get it back from her beta-reader. She hates waiting too.), kit-kit, Silver Depth, autumnburn, Sansi(Glomps), ladybard96(Well, that's two. I'll have to get Silver to write that side-story), tears of a mermaid, armuria(Don't cry. Here's the update), trekkie-54, Amber Eyes23, Carmen5-Nemrac, Crimson89, Yugi and Mai, ladywolf(Terri(Probably not – my hikari's just paranoid since Mouth of Yomi got taken down for a much less graphic lemon), DracOnyx(You know, telling that to Silver might not be a good idea…she is a Call of Cthulhu gamemaster, and enjoys driving people insane…), JadedKatrina, Tigerlily-2250, Idyxenobia, Shadow-loverOB1(Couldn't get your address either. E-mail me!), animestargirl(Malik is the older twin, by a few seconds), Pharaoh Atemu's Angel(please e-mail me for the lemon, k?), Sarah Costa, Meant2Live, Falcon-Rider(Glad Silver caught your interest.)

And now on with the fic!

Chapter 8 – Plans and Rituals

Yugi looked down at his sleeping lover, a loving smile on his lips. Yami had collapsed after their final ecstasy together. Yugi had to admit, the teen had stamina. Quietly he rose, grabbing a cloth and towel from the bathroom to clean them both up. Yami didn't stir – not that Yugi expected him to. The nip on his ankle –and a tiny dose of Yugi's demonic venom - had suppressed any pain from the first time being loved, but the side-effects would keep him asleep for at least six hours, and could be dangerous over the long term. Which is why Yugi only used it on lovers who were virgin…and rarely more than the once.

Clean-up finished, he tucked them both into bed, carefully arranging his sprained wing. He settled behind Yami and pulled the teenager into his arms – Yami sighed in his sleep, cuddling closer. Yugi smiled. _At least Yami should have no bad dreams tonight._

_Now I know Ryou was right – even afterwards, I still want to be with him. I want to see that smile again…I want to be with him forever. But…it's not safe, with Malik and Marik on my tail._

Yugi brushed a kiss across Yami's tousled hair. _I could leave now, tonight…but that would not be fair to him, or to us. He would think I only wanted his body and his virginity. _Yugi blinked away a tear at the thought of Yami's reaction if he woke alone. _After all that he's been through – that would be so wrong. We'll have to talk about this – in the morning. He's nearly a man by human standards…I owe him an explanation. I love him too much to not tell him the truth._

----- ----- ----- ----- ------- ----- ------- --- -

Seto Kaiba wiped away the sleep from his eyes, trying to make the symbols on his laptop screen stand still. The bright red numbers of the clock on his desk burned 1:30 am…way past the time when was supposed to be here. He wouldn't be here himself – except for the throbbing, aching compulsion that pounded through his skull.

Find Yami Motou.

He didn't know – couldn't remember – who had done this to him, but the compulsion was far too strong for him to fight. He had to find the teenager – using all the resources of Kaiba Corp if necessary – or he was certain he would lose what little was left of his sanity.

Seto snarled to himself. He didn't want to do this – from what he know of Kyoshori Motou, he was from the same school as his own stepfather, Gozoboro…who with any luck was frying in the deepest pit of Hell right now. Yami probably had a good reason to get lost and stay that way; pity was foreign to Seto's nature, but he could sympathize.

Mokuba snored gently on the couch, having fallen asleep there after a failed attempt to get his older brother to quit for the night, or even stop long enough to eat. Seto sighed as he rubbed his eyes again – he still had reports to go through, and he couldn't explain to Mokuba what was going on…not when he didn't understand it himself.

He punched the next report up, and stared in shock at what it said. Some of his agents had found Yami Motou in Tokyo…they had lost the teenager, but still…

Like the snap of a rubber band, the compulsion over Seto's mind broke. He sighed at the blessed relief. The teenager was found…now what should he do?  
A tired, evil little smirk crossed his features. Whoever had done this wanted Yami found…they didn't say a damned thing about doing anything about it afterwards. So he was in Tokyo. Good enough.

Quick fingers flew over the laptop as he sent out orders to stand down from the hunt…and altered the report containing the information. He gave a low laugh. They would get nothing from using Seto Kaiba…he would deny them the satisfaction. And when they came to claim their report… he would be ready.

-- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- --- -- -- --

Malik howled his frustration to the sky, no doubt scaring the mortals who could hear, but not see, the source of the sounds. "HE TRICKED US!"

Marik winced at his brother's tone. They both hovered in the sky over Okinawa, having searched the island nation high and low for any sign of their prey to no avail. Which put them back at square one.

"I am going to rip his wings off, the little shit." Malik growled. The elder of the twins swung around in midair. "Well? You're the brains of this outfit…what the hell are we supposed to do now?"

"Take up the trail where we know it left off." Marik answered coldly, acting unimpressed by his twin's temper. Malik had always been the more impetuous of the two, acting before he thought, while Marik was the planner. He paused to think, his wings flapping idly to keep him hovering. "We know he was in Domino…and if I'm right he kidnapped the boy, probably to play with. But let's look at this calmly and logically." He paused, martialling his thoughts. "Okay, let's presume that Yami went with Yugi willingly – we didn't find any signs of a struggle in the boy's bedroom. Let's also presume also that Yugi would not have wanted to stay in Domino – not where Yami could be recognized. So…he took him to another city. Probably by normal means – wouldn't want to freak his little mortal plaything out. So, no portal – which is consistant with what we found in the bedroom.

"Which means he could be anywhere." Malik snarled. "It's been four days, Marik…he could have literally gone any placein the world in that time."

"I don't think so." Marik shook his head. "I doubt if they even left Japan – after all, Yugi wouldn't want to take the mortal all that far away from his family. What surprises me is that the boy isn't home yet."

"We know that he ran away…and I don't think think he was happy with his father." Malik stated in a calm, rational voice. Marik looked up at his brother and carefully didn't smile. When angry enough, Malik flipped over into the coldness at the far side of rage, his brain actually working for a change. This was also when the elder twin was at his most dangerous. "Maybe… he decided that life with Yugi would be better than at home. And that means…"

"…He's burdened down with a mortal…who probably doesn't even know he's a demon." Marik finished, smirking. "Yugi'll likely abandon him at the first opportunity, thinking to keep him 'safe'. And while Yugi can lose us in the air, Yami can't…"

"…so we can use the mortal to track Yugi…"

"...to act as bait…"

"…or betray his faithless lover…"

The twins smirked at each other, then stretched their wings and flew to the mainland.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Yugi felt Yami stir slightly and jolted out of his own uneasy sleep, hissing in pain as the sprained wing protested. He opened his eyes to see Yami smiling sleepily at him – sometime during the night they had shifted until they were facing each other, Yami curled in Yugi's arms.

"Morning." Yami murmured sleepily. Yugi just stared at that sated, happy little smile and tried to remember how to breathe.

_Pull yourself together, idiot. You and he have to talk…later._ Before that smile could fade, Yugi pressed their lips together in a delicate kiss. "Morning, love. Sleep well?"

"Mmm." Yami sighed as his eyes drifted closed again. "You?"

"Yeah." Yugi gave him a squeeze, then shifted out from under the covers. Sleepy crimson-violet eyes opened, watching him in confusion.

"Where are you going?"

"Bathroom, lover…and one of us needs to make breakfast. Go back to sleep, sweet one."

"M'kay." Yami's eyes slid shut, his breathing evening out. Yugi gave him a loving smile before going to relieve himself.

He didn't bathe, mainly because all of his and Yami's clothes were already packed up. Moving to the counter, he took out a jar of salve to soothe his sprained wing. He hissed as he tried to reach the area.

"Here." Yugi jumped in shock as Yami took the jar from over his shoulder and took a fingerful, rubbing it on the wing. The sprained joint was obvious; swollen and discoloured.

"What happened?" Yami asked softly as he spread the tangy-smelling substance with gentle fingers.

"Sprain." Yugi hissed despite Yami's care – it was damned painful, more so than it should have been. In fact, it should have healed on its own by now.

"Hang on." Yami turned on all the bathroom lights, peering at the night-black wing. "Yugi, there's something in here."

"What?"

"Do you have a pair of tweezers?"

"In there." Yugi indicated the correct drawer; Yami grabbed the small metal tongs and returned to his study of the injury. Delicately he picked out a sliver of some whitish substance, showing it to Yugi. "Here. This was in there."

Yugi studied it. _Damn. Looks like Marik managed to nick me after all. Good thing it wasn't anything more, or the venom would have paralyzed me. _The demon shuddered mentally at the thought of what would have happened. Hunter demons had venom in their claws and teeth that could cause pain, paralysis and even necrotic rot. "Can you please clean that out? I don't want to get any infection." Yugi reached for a bottle filled with a clear, thin liquid. "Just don't get any of this on your skin. It won't take much – maybe a tablespoon full." He warned, and braced himself. This was going to hurt…a lot.

Yami poured the liquid, and Yugi tried manfully not to scream. Demon poison was a bitch to purge – he couldn't take any chances. Since the venom was both powerful and basic(1), the best cure was an acid.

Hydrochloric, in this case.

His heartbeat pounded in his ears as the acid ate away skin and flesh, leaving white bone and trails of thick black blood. Calling his magic, Yugi used some of it to scab over the wound. It hurt like a bitch, but it would heal within a day.

Too bad he didn't have a day. "Thanks."

"You're…welcome." Yami stammered. "What happened?"

Yugi sighed. "We have to talk. Come on."

In the living room, Yugi grabbed his pants and pulled them on, handing Yami his. "Here. This will be difficult enough – I don't need any…" Yugi swallowed as he glanced at the perfection of Yami's form. "Distractions." Even with the pain, the teen was hot enough to turn him on with a look.

Yami pulled the garment on, his eyes showing hurt and a little confusion. "Yugi, what's wrong?"

"Listen, Yami…" Yugi took a deep breath. "What you pulled out of my wing was a sliver of demon talon. There are a pair of hunter-demons after me…their master seems to think I did something that I in fact didn't do. I think I threw them off my trail, but it won't last long. I…don't want you in danger."

To his shock, Yami actually started to laugh. The teenager laughed until tears ran down his face, laughed until he couldn't breathe. Yugi just stared in shock.

Finally, Yami managed to calm himself down. "When I came home yesterday." He explained, "I was going to tell you the same thing…Seto Kaiba's men found Jou, Honda and myself in the way home from the arcade. We lost them but I figured it wouldn't take long before they discovered where I'm staying…I was going to go back to Father so that you wouldn't get into trouble."

Yugi blinked again, then giggled, then burst out laughing at the pure irony. "So…we were both going to do the noble thing and give up the other for their own safety. Well, since we both have to run for it…" he paused, holding out his hand to the other. "Care to join me, Yami Motou?"

Yami laughed and nodded. "Might as well run for it in company." He grew a little more serious then. "Honestly, Yugi, you don't have to do this. I can go back to Father and…"

"No." Yugi shook his head. "You're almost an adult, Yami. I won't have you going back to that thing who calls himself your father." He reached into the back pocket of his pants, pulling out a debit card. "This is attached to my account. If something happens to me and we get separated, I want you to pull out as much money as you can and disappear…go to Europe or America and vanish."

"But I couldn't leave you." Yami whispered.

"Yami…" Yugi swallowed, but he knew that he owed his lover the truth. "If that happens, there is a good chance I will already be dead."

Silence fell on the conversation. Finally Yami scooted over to the demon and slipped an arm around his waist. "Yugi…I love you. No matter what happens. I promise…I promise that if something…happens…to you, I won't ever go back to Father. Alright?"

Yugi smiled at his love. "Thank you. I just wish…"

"Wish what?" Yami asked.

The demon blushed. He hadn't meant to continue that thought aloud. "I wish that I could…never mind, it's too much to ask."

"What?"

Yugi shook his head; Yami poked him. "If you don't tell me, I'll cook tonight. And I'll burn your part. And I'll blow up your kitchen."

"Nasty aren't you? What happened to the shrinking violet I saw at Domino High School?"

Yami shrugged, a shy smile gracing his face. "I think he got lost somewhere last night. But that isn't answering my question. What did you want to ask of me?" His tone lost all trace of fun. "Yugi, I swear…if it's in my power, I will give you anything. I don't have much – but what I have is yours. I love you so much."

"Alright…but I want you to think about this before you answer." Yugi took Yami's hand in his. "I wanted to ask you to be my mate. I know I love you, and I'm sure you love me..."

Yami opened his mouth, but Yugi put his fingers over the opening, stopping him. "Let me finish. This would let me find and protect you no matter where you went; but you are mortal, and I don't know of any cases where a demon mating ritual has been done on a human…so there might be side-effects. It is magic; but in some respects magic is like science – if one variable changes, the result becomes unknown." The demon took a breath. "I want to be with you, Yami…but you must be sure. Absolutely willing, or else the bond won't work properly. If there is any doubt in your heart…"

Yami hugged him tighter, then peeked around and caught his gaze. "Yugi…if I wasn't absolutely certain, then I wouldn't have slept with you last night. I wanted…I thought I wouldn't be able to ever see you again, and I know I will never fall in love with anyone the way I have fallen for you. I wanted you to be my first…and I want you to be my only."

He grinned. "But I don't think this is the time, is it? We should go to…where were you planning on going, anyway?"

Yugi nodded in silent agreement. "I have an apartment in Kyoto. The only problem being that if we take any mortal or magical means of travel, Marik and Malik will be able to track it…and I can't fly with my wing in this shape."

"Is there someone else who might be willing to fly us there?"

Yugi thought for a moment, and grinned. "There just might be…"

----- ------ ------ ----- --- --- ---- --- ---- ---

An hour and a couple phone calls later, Bakura and Ryou appeared at Yugi's window. Yami – who had been working on the puzzle he'd gotten from Yugi, and surprisingly almost had it done - let them in while the incubus dealt with the man from the shipping company, who would be taking their clothes to the new place in Kyoto.

"Hello, Yami." Ryou murmured politely; Bakura just grunted. "Yugi said it was an emergency. Is everything alright?"

"Well…" Yami started, when suddenly Bakura sniffed and barked a laugh. He blinked at the white-haired demon in surprise. "What?"

"So you two finally got together. About time." The gaki grinned wolfishly. "So what's it like to bang the best incubus in Hell?"

Yami turned bright red while Ryou hit his mate over the head, hard. "Bakura!"

The gaki just kept laughing. Ryou pointedly turned his back on Bakura and walked Yami over to the other side of the room. "Ignore him. If you and Yugi have gotten together, I couldn't be happier. Now, what did Yugi call us about?"

"It might be better if he told you." Yami muttered, still trying to control his blushing. A quiet filled the room, offset only by Bakura's snickering and the murmuring of Yugi and the delivery man at the door. Yami put another couple pieces in the puzzle before turning to the storm demon. "Ryou…do you know anything about…demon mating?" Yami's felt his blush come back full force; he played nervously with the three-quarter-done puzzle in his hands.

"Why did you want to know?" Ryou replied after a moment's thought. "Did Yugi…ask you to be his mate?"

"Yes." Yami answered. He had no idea why he was talking about this to someone he barely knew…but he felt comfortable enough around the gentle demon to ask.

"Well…" Ryou murmured softly. "It's interesting…the ritual has different effects on everyone. Take me and Bakura…I'm a storm demon and he was a mortal thief who dabbled in the occult when we met. We took longer to decide that we were meant for each other…but when we mated, he became a type of vampire who feeds on human pain; soon after my hair came in the same colour as his."

Yami blinked. "Is that why he can stand sunlight, even though he's a gaki?"

"Yes." Bakura, who had finally recovered, joined them on the couch, answering for his mate. "Sorry, Yami. Sometimes my sense of humor gets the better of me. I guess it's really not any of my business…I was just curious what it's like."

"I take it I'm not good enough for you?" Ryou asked archly. Bakura smirked.

"Don't be ridiculous, love, Yugi's flexible – I'm sure he could take both of us."

Yami buried his flaming face in his hands. "Too much information, Bakura."

Ryou fought back a chuckle while Bakura laughed out loud. "Come on, Yami; I'm sure you could join us if you wanted to."

"Bakura, _what_ do you think you're doing?" Yugi's normally chipper voice was cool. Yami tried to hide in the couch cushions while Yugi gave the gaki a piece of his mind.

"I'll thank you to keep a handle on that sense of humour of yours before I shove it somewhere that I guarantee you won't find pleasant.

"You okay, Yami?" Yugi's hands massaged his shoulders.

"I'm fine." Yami smiled sheepishly. "They were just fooling around."

"What did you call us over for, Yugi?" Ryou asked quickly, throwing a dirty look at his mate, who had opened his mouth as though to speak.

"This is a little odd, guys, but Yami and I have to go to Kyoto, and I was hoping you could give us a ride."

"Malik and Marik that close behind you?" Bakura asked, suddenly dead serious.

"And Yami's father. I threw off the hunter-demons for a while, but Kaiba will be telling Yami's father where he is; we both need to get somewhere else. I would just take the bus or something, but…"

"But Marik and Malik could smell out your trail if you did." Ryou finished. "Alright…but we should wait until twilight. Less chance of anyone seeing us."

"We could just use magic to hide…" Yugi started, but Ryou shook his head.

"It leaves a trail. Hunter-demons can pick that up…even in the air."

Yugi went white and started to shake. Yami grabbed him and pulled him down onto the couch, between himself and Ryou. "Yugi…what's wrong?"

"Hells…what happened to your wing?" Ryou choked, noticing the injury for the first time.

"I didn't know." The incubus whispered. "I swear I didn't know…I flew here from the store with my cloak up. They'll be able to follow that..."

"How long ago?" Ryou asked.

"Yesterday afternoon." Yugi murmured. Yami curled his arms around his lover, trying to comfort him.

"That should be long enough for it to fade." Bakura shook his head. "I think that if they were in Tokyo before then, you would have had them at your doorstep by now." He ruffled Yugi's spiked hair. "You need to calm down, Yugi. Panicking won't help anything."

The doorbell rang. Four heads shot up in unison, staring at the portal.

"You expecting anyone?" Ryou asked.

"No." Yugi shook his head.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous." Bakura growled. "Malik and Marik wouldn't ring the fucking doorbell!" Yugi shared an abashed smile with Ryou and rose to answer the door.

While Yugi was at the door, Bakura leaned over and whispered in Yami's ear. "You might want to say yes to mating with him. He will be able to find you, and protect you…you might even get some gifts that will allow you to protect yourself."

"But…" Yami glanced at the gaki. "What if I turn into demon or a vampire or something else?"

"Well, it's impossible to say…just ask yourself if the chance of staying with Yugi forever is worth the risk."

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Idly playing with the pieces of his puzzle, Yami gnawed on his lip and considered Bakura's words. He knew he was in love with the demon… but did he really love him enough to take that kind of chance? To perhaps be no longer human…but at the same time, to be joined to him forever.

_At least it would be _my _choice…not something forced on me by Father or Mother. And it would be for forever…_ He looked over at Yugi, who was laughing. The doorbell had proved to be the mailman, needing a signature; Bakura had been needling the smaller demon ever since. _He asked _me_. He could have anyone he wanted…Bakura even called him the best incubus in Hell. And he picked me._ Yami shivered a little, not noticing as his hands placed the last few pieces in their place. _My choice…_ He glanced down at his hands in shock to see the last piece of the puzzle, the Eye, slide into place. For a moment he thought he saw a glimmer of rainbow light shimmer from the Eye, only to vanish. Yami blinked. _It must have been a trick of the light…but it's done._ Smiling with a bit of pride, he slipped the rope over his neck.

"You finished it!" Yugi exclaimed – Yami jumped. He hadn't heard the demon cross the room. "Way to go Yami!"

"Thanks." Yami fingered the golden pendant – it felt right there, as though he had been wearing it all his life. "Yugi…I've been thinking. I…want to be your mate."

Yugi stared at him. "Are you sure?" he asked. "This is awfully fast, Yami. Are you absolutely sure?"

"Would it make you happy?" Yami asked seriously, staring into those deep amethyst eyes.

"It would make me the happiest person on Earth." Yugi answered just as seriously. "But would it make you happy?"

"Yes." Yami grinned a little. "I have been happier in these past days than I have at anytime before – and that includes when I lived with Jii-chan." He reached up and caressed Yugi's cheek. "I love you. I want to be with you forever and ever."

Yugi leaned down and kissed him softly. "Me too."

"Come on." Yugi pulled him to his feet and brought him over to the couch. He grinned at Bakura and Ryou.

"Yami's agreed to be my mate!" he announced to them. Bakura smirked and winked at Yami while Ryou congratulated them both. "Will you two witness?"

"Of course." Ryou nodded. Yami blinked a little, surprised, then shrugged to himself. No point in waiting, right? Ryou grabbed cushions from the bed and tucked them behind Yami, who looked at him in silent question.

"Bakura passed out when we did this." Ryou winked, hearing an embarrassed growl from the gaki. Yugi had scampered off to the kitchen and returned a moment later with a paring knife.

"We have to exchange a drop of blood." The demon explained. "Then there's a short incantation, and that's it."

"It seems really simple." Yami noted.

"It's a human trait to complicate things." Ryou smiled. "We demons like things simple."

"Oh."

Yugi's hiss of pain caught Yami's attention. The demon had poked his finger, and a single drop of black blood welled up. Silently he handed the knife to Yami, who braced himself and did the same. As his human blood came to the surface, Yugi leaned over and licked it delicately from his finger. Yami swallowed a surge of nerves and leaned over, doing the same – the demon blood was bitter and thick, like nothing he had ever tasted before.

"Now we are one." Yugi intoned, lavender magic swirling around his hands. "We have tasted the essence of the other. Let it be as we will."

The magic swirled around Yami and he gasped as it entered him in a rush of incredible heat. For a long moment he couldn't breath, then suddenly something in his mind broke free; a darkness, a despair that he had forgotten for so long, buried deep within his heart.

_Flashback_

_"That's not fair, Father!" Yami snarled. "I didn't know about that stupid rule – you can't punish me for that!"_

_"I can and I will." Father answered coldly. "I am your father – defying me carries consequences. Go to the basement."_

_"NO!" Yami stomped his foot, defiance in every inch of his 12 year old body. "I won't! I'll run away – I'll go back to Grandfather!"_

_"No, you won't." Rising, Father grabbed his shirt collar, literally dragging him down the stairs to the basement. Yami screamed blue murder, fighting against the iron grip. Suddenly he was forced forward, into a blank, metal-walled room, stumbling with the sudden momentum. He heard the door behind him close and the click of a lock. _

_The room was lit by thin fluorescents, their pale light amplified by metal reflectors. There were no windows, just the steady hum of an air-pump, a small slot in the door and a hole in the centre of the floor. No seats or anything else – Yami panicked, charging back to the door and pounding on it until his fists were raw and bleeding, screaming and cursing in language no twelve year old should know the meaning of. _

_Eventually his energy ran out and he slid down the door, ignoring the bloody streaks adorning the metal. He cried until he couldn't breathe, until he dropped into an exhausted sleep._

_He didn't know how much time passed; the light in the room never changed, the hum of the air pump grated on his nerves, and he wanted out of there. His bladder was full to bursting; he was hungry, thirsty and still exhausted, having gotten little rest on the cold metal floor. _

_"Father!" he screamed. "Please! Let me out of here!" He paced impatiently, thumping the door out of sheer frustration, until finally the slot in the door opened. _

_A bit of food and a cup of water appeared on a tray, along with a note. In his father's neat handwriting, he read:_

_Yami_

_You will stay in there until you realize the error of your opinions. _

_Father._

_Time passed. Yami shivered as the room slowly got colder – never enough to be dangerous, just enough that he couldn't get comfortable. The hum of the air pump just accentuated the silence; the absence of any sensation, of any human contact ate away at his nerves. He slept when he was tired: the light never changed in here. He had time only to think, and to ponder the note that Father had left him. _

_How often had Father told him he was worthless, of less import than the dogs and the cats? At least they served a useful function. Darkness, useless, nothing. The words ran around his head, refusing to leave him be. He screamed, but the walls only echoed back the sound. He cried, but the tears brought no help or solace. He was alone. Father…was right? Maybe – if he admitted Father was right, he could leave?_

_But if Father was right about that – he must be right about everything else too. Yami shivered, curled in the middle of the floor, bowed under the weight of despair. Nothing, worthless, pathetic useless…he drifted into troubled dreams, dreams of blessed darkness that spoke in soft voices, begging him to let them help him. Shadows that wrapped him tight, cradling him, calming him. That passed through his mind and heart and soul, taking something from deep within and carefully tucking it away. He whimpered a little at the loss, but the voices soothed him, promising that when the time was right, they would return what they had taken. He tried to ask what it was, what they had done to him, but his strength was gone. In the darkness he forgot, forgot the need to fight, the desire to strike back. His will vanished into the endless shadows, leaving him numb. _

_When the door opened again, Yami no longer had the strength to stand, nor the will left to try. He lay in a boneless pile, not really knowing or caring where he was anymore. _

_Father walked over. "Kneel." He commanded. _

_Yami mindlessly obeyed. _

_"Do you have anything to say to me?"_

_"I…" Yami coughed, then tried again. "I'm sorry, Father. Please, forgive me." Every word deepened the numbness in his heart._

_"I forgive you, stupid child." _

_"Thank you, Father."_

------ ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Yugi gasped as Yami's eyes rolled back and he dropped onto the cushions in a dead faint, twitching. A long moan emerged from his throat, followed by a whimper. Yugi looked at Ryou, who shook his head in confusion.

Grasping his new mate's arms, Yugi cradled his body close. "Hold on, love. It's okay, I'm here."

As though the words were a catalyst, the very shadows in the corners of the room suddenly thickened, deepened, wrapped around Yami and Yugi in an impenetrable cloud. Yugi could hear Ryou and Bakura's cries of shock for a moment before they faded, cut off from him and his lover.

Inside the cloud, Yugi held Yami tighter, readying his powers against whatever magic this was. The Puzzle around Yami's neck glowed slightly and the shadows moved faster. They passed through them both, giving Yugi glimpses of what had happened to Yami.

"Beloved of Darkness." A voice echoed out of the gloom. "Hear us. We have returned that which we took – help him to discover it. We ask this of you…if you do not, he will die."

"I don't know what you mean…but I will help him." Yugi promised. For a moment he thought he saw two figures in the darkness, one male, one female, but they vanished too quickly for him to be sure. Then the shadows swirled like water, pouring into Yami. The teen gasped and jerked, his eyes flying open – Yugi had the disconcerting image of his lover's eyes turning blood-red for a moment before returning to their normal colour and drifting shut, his body going limp.

----- ----- ----- ------ -----

(1) Basic as opposed to acidic – the two cancel each other out.

----- ----- ----- ------ -----

To Be Continued...


	9. To Kyoto

Chapter 9 – To Kyoto

The darkness cleared, leaving Yugi blinking at Bakura and Ryou in shock, trying to figure out exactly what had happened. Yami was still out cold in his arms, but the twitching had stopped; he appeared to be in a more or less normal sleep.

"What happened?" the two white-haired demons demanded in unison.

"I don't know for sure." Yugi admitted as fatigue washed over him. "I…" The room spun for a moment before settling. "I don't feel so good…"

"Here." Ryou knelt beside Yugi, holding him in his cool grasp. "Bakura, take Yami please. It's dark enough to leave now – why don't you just close your eyes, Yugi, and take a little nap? Bakura and I will get you to Kyoto without a problem." Yugi nodded wordlessly – the fatigue and the dizziness were combining forces now. He managed to tug the address out of a pocket, handing it over to the storm-demon before falling into darkness with a sigh.

In the commotion, no one noticed two streaks of blood - one red, one black - which had ended up on the puzzle, only to be slowly absorbed into the shining gold.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ------ --

Twilight painted the skies as Ryou and Bakura flew from the porch of Yugi's apartment, wings pumping silently in the cooling air.

"We won't get to Kyoto tonight." Bakura called, balancing Yami on his back. He held the mortal by both arms over his shoulders, both to keep Yami from falling and to prevent him from sliding and fouling Bakura's wings. "We'll have to stop somewhere before day breaks."

"What about the hotel?" Ryou asked, Yugi cradled lightly in his arms. "It's about halfway, and we can stay there until night falls. Maybe Yugi can make a portal to Kyoto in the morning – after all, it's unlikely that Malik and Marik will be able to track us there."

"I'd rather be safe than sorry." Bakura grunted. "And it won't take us all that much longer if we hurry. Come on, slowpoke."

Ryou grinned and used a touch of his magic, summoning a tailwind to speed them through the deep night sky.

----- ----- ------ ---- ---- ---- ------

Kaiba sat in his office, quietly going over documents that had been neglected in his search for Yami Motou.

Wind gusted suddenly; Marik and Malik landed in the office, Malik immediately holding up the Rod to affirm control over their pawn. Nothing happened for a long moment…then Kaiba looked up from his desk, not looking at either demon directly. Malik blinked at the mortal, then at the Rod. He could not feel the shape of Kaiba's mind. "Why isn't this thing working?" he demanded.

"Hello." Kaiba said calmly. "Just so you know I did find your quarry for you; the information is in my desk. However, you won't be able to take advantage of the fact." Suddenly the windows slammed shut and a steel plate slid over both windows and door. "Don't try and get out – the walls are electrified. You will be taken to the authorities, charged with trespassing…" Marik snarled and punched Kaiba, only to have his hand go through the businessman as though he were an illusion.

"What the hell?" the demon blinked as 'Kaiba' wavered and vanished, leaving behind only a small half-circle of metal. "It's a fucking hologram! He tricked us!"

"I am getting very, very tired of people doing that." Malik growled – he spun and punched right through the outside window, steel door and all. The electricity sparked and spat over his body, but he ignored it. "Grab the information, Marik, and let's get going."

Wordlessly Marik went through Kaiba's desk until he found the right report, then followed his brother out the window, throwing up his cloak of invisibility just as the human law enforcement people busted into the room.

"Where do we have to go?"

"According to this, Yami was spotted on Hokkaido." Marik answered. "Let's go."

----- ----- ----- ---- --- ---- ---- ----

"Where is he?" With a crash that shook dust from the rafters, Kyoshori Motou's goons slammed Sugoroku Motou up against the wall of the Kame Game Shop. The older man gasped as the air was driven out of his lungs, glaring hatred at his middle, disowned son.

"Who?" Sugoroku managed at last. One of the goon made as if to punch him, but held off as Kyoshori lifted his hand.

"Yami. He's gone…he had no where else to go, except the street. You must have helped him get out of Domino to Hokkaido."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen the boy since you took him out of here eight years ago."

Kyoshori nodded and the goon's fist slammed home in his stomach. Sugoroku tried to breathe through sudden shooting pain in his chest.

"Drop him." Kyoshori ordered curtly. "If you run across Yami, old man, tell him that I'm looking for him, and that he had better come home quickly."

Leaving his father gasping in pain, Kyoshori stormed out of the store and into his limo, snapping at his driver to get him to work.

Yami still hadn't been found. Kaiba-sama had sent him a report stating the boy was on Hokkaido – though how he'd gotten that far was a mystery – and that Kaiba Corp would be washing it's hands of the matter from this point on. He snarled, grinding his teeth. The boy was a valuable asset, and he didn't want to waste 8 years of investment for no return.

----- ----- --- -- ---- ----- ---- -----

Dawn had just broken when Ryou and Bakura landed on the top of a skyscraper. Ryou left his mate to care for the other two and slipped down the side of the building to the alley behind. He folded his wings and walked around to the front of the building, which turned out to be a rather upscale hotel.

"Good day." Ryou greeted the desk clerk with his sunniest smile. The woman smiled back, blushing lightly. My name is Ryou Moudikku…I was wondering if my room is available?"

"Of course sir." The woman – her name tag said Hikado – immediately punched a few keys on her keyboard, registering him, before handing him two keycards. "How long will you be staying, sir?"

"Just for the day." The storm demon answered, placing the keycards in his jean pocket. "We'll…I'll be leaving about 6:30 tonight."

Ms. Hikado didn't even turn a hair at the change in phrasing. Ryou paid the hotel well for it's service. "Thank you for staying, sir."

Ryou thanked her politely, moving to the elevators. Bakura would already have gotten in through the window and taken Yami and Yugi to the room. Normally they weren't quite this paranoid about not being seen, but they didn't want to take a chance on any of the staff spotting their companions – Marik and Malik had their means of finding information, and were not pleasant about it.

As he suspected, Bakura was waiting for him when he opened the door; Yami and Yugi were curled up together on one of the two queen-sized beds and the delicious smell of coffee wafted from the kitchenette. "Any problems?" Bakura asked as he locked the door behind his mate.

"No." Ryou shook his head, stretching stiff arms. "Breakfast should be here in about three-quarters of an hour – we didn't give them any warning, after all. Have they woken up yet?"

"Not a peep." Bakura grabbed the coffeepot and poured Ryou a cup of the dark liquid, spooning in a dash of sugar and cocoa powder. "They curled up like that when I put them on the bed and that's it. I wasn't out this long, was I?"

Ryou shook his head. "But then you didn't have the mental difficulties that Yami does, and there is no way to predict what the magic of the mating bond is doing to either one of them. It changed you greatly and me only a small bit – we don't know if that will hold true, or what happened to them in that cloud of darkness earlier."

Bakura actually shivered. Ryou did too, wrapping his hands around the warm mug of coffee as a chill ran down his back. That darkness…it had not been the normal darkness of night or of the mortal world, nor even of the demon realms. Those shadows had been aware, in a primitive fashion – and that scared him. What had called them, and what had they done to Yami and Yugi? Until the pair woke from their sleep, it would be impossible to even speculate.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Yami whimpered in the cold light, reliving his nightmare over and over. He saw the room, the merciless note from Father, the torturous waiting…the darkness pulling something from his soul, the utter helplessness… He would have screamed, but he couldn't find the breath. He would have fought, but fatigue weighed down his mind and soul.

:Yami.: A soft voice broke into the endless cycle of his nightmare. Yami blinked his crimson-violet eyes, breathing harsh and raspy. :Yami, please. Don't do this to yourself.:

He didn't have the strength to speak; he wished he could, just to be able to answer the concern in Yugi's beautiful voice. :I want to…I can't…:

Warm arms wrapped around his shoulders; night-dark wings circled around him, protective and gentle. The nightmares shredded and vanished under the feel of another presence with him and somehow within him, banishing his fear and pain.

:They're just memories, beloved.: Yugi whispered. Yami realized slowly that the demon wasn't talking to him…he could feel warm comforting kisses being rained on his shoulders and back. The voice of his love was somehow inside his head, bringing with it warmth and strength to fight the cold despair paralyzing his soul. :They can't hurt you – you need to learn from them, put them aside and carry on.:

:But…: How strange – this mental communication was so natural, easy as breathing. :The past…:

:Is past. It cannot be changed…only the Creator can move time. But lover…you control the future. Your choices…:

:But then, my choices made the past too.:

A pause. :Yes…: Yugi admitted reluctantly. Yami felt a renewed surge of despair. :But…: the demon continued, his hands soothing tense muscles, :You were a child, and a child has less to choose from. And beloved, sometimes there are no right choices – only the best ones under the circumstances.:

:But they are still my choices.: Yami admitted bitterly.

:Show me.: Yugi whispered softly. :Show me the nightmare that holds you in it's claws, my love.:

:No…you'll hate me, hate me for being so weak…:

:Weak or strong, good or evil, I love you forever and ever. There is nothing you have or will do that will change that, sweet one. We are together now – I am here for you and you for me. That is what this bond means.:

Yami closed his eyes and somehow opened his mind to his love…his mate. He opened his eyes again to see his nightmare played out one more time, only somehow he was detached, watching as though this hell had happened in a movie. He could feel the presence of Yugi in the back of his mind, soothing and supporting, a gentle light. When the darkness claimed him, ripped something from his soul, he felt a gasp of surprise and…understanding?...from Yugi.

The vision wound to a close, leaving the two floating in a soft twilight emptiness. Yami sighed, savouring the lack of turmoil, the warmth on his back and sides and in his mind from Yugi.

:I think…: Yugi said finally, absently kissing Yami's shoulder. :I think that this…darkness, whatever it was, took your will to resist from you. I don't think it's a coincidence that you gave up fighting your father after this. Did you ever really disobey any of his rules after that?:

:Yes.: Yami said firmly, then paused, casting his mind back through the last five years of his life. :Wait…I never intentionally disobeyed his rules. Sometime I messed up, but not deliberately.:

:That's what I thought.: Yugi murmured, nuzzling into his hair. :These shadows took your will from you. Now…they have given that back to you, beloved. And asked me to help you find it again.: A mental smirk. :That should be fun…I can do all kinds of exploring.:

Yami caught a spill of mental images with that sentence that made him blush. :Yugi! I don't think my will to resist anything is _there!_:

Yugi laughed, the sound rippling like bells through his soul. :I love you, Yami.:

:I love you too.: Yami gasped as Yugi's fingers toyed with the skin of his chest. :Yugi, what…?"

:Hmmm?: Yugi nipped gently at the soft skin of Yami's collarbone. The teenager didn't even try to fight back the moans as Yugi's hands drove all thought from his mind. The feel of Yugi's mind strengthened with the rise in Yami's passions, but he felt no fear, only a strange wonder as that mental light glowed brighter and brighter. His head fell back on Yugi's shoulder as he relaxed utterly into the feeling of being loved and wanted and needed.

Yugi's hands slowed their roaming; Yami felt the demon's shock as their minds began to intermingle. :What is this?: Yugi gasped. With the words came emotional overtones of discomfort and fear – he knew how to show his emotions through physical expression, but this…to have someone so close… Automatically Yami projected love and warmth and welcome, soothing his lover.

:Mmm…: Yami felt Yugi's muscles suddenly slacken until he was draped bonelessly over Yami's form. :…feels so good…:

And Yami closed his eyes and saw in that gentle glow the whole of Yugi's soul; not perfect, not even human, but full of peace and love, and a wisdom beyond words or price. No desire to harm an innocent lived there…but an implacable hatred of Yami's father lingered to stain the perfect light.

And Yami knew too that Yugi saw his own weak essence. His flawed, broken soul. He wept, knowing he could never be worthy of this angel in demon's form.

Felt acceptance, and a wash of love.

:See yourself through me: Yugi's mind voice, full of compassion.

Saw for an instant his own soul in the light of Yugi's, a tapestry of a thousand purples and midnight blues and more shades of black that the human eye could see…torn, sloppily repaired, but whole. Saw the shadows that wove themselves into the tears, into the pattern, strengthening it.

:I told you…so beautiful.:

Felt light warming him, drying his tears.

Drew it to himself.

:Wonderful light…:

Two minds danced in communion beyond words, restless shadows and warm light weaving into one, whole perfect pattern of love, joy and desire.

Forever.

----- ----- ----- ---- --- ---- --- ---

Yugi woke first, reluctantly emerging from a vague, wonderful dream at the urgings of his body. He lay spooned up against Yami, gently breathing in the scent of the teenager's hair. Bleary eyes blinked, slowly realizing that they were in a hotel room – the generic décor could belong to nothing else. He managed to prop himself up on one elbow despite the dead feeling in his arms and upper body.

On the next bed over, two patches of white hair sticking out from under the covers told him where Ryou and Bakura were – from the sunlight streaming into the room, it was sometime in the late afternoon.

His bladder quivered again; Yugi sighed and reluctantly left Yami's warmth for the bathroom.

After his business was done, Yugi stretched and sighed. He felt well-rested, and almost keyed up – and different somehow in a way he couldn't place.

Idly he flapped his wing, pleased to see that the damage had healed over nicely. Incubi didn't heal as fast as some demons, but at least they never scarred either. Sitting down on the bed, he ran his hands through his mate's hair gently. The teenager sighed and leaned into the touch.

:That's nice.: Yami murmured before settling into sleep again. Yugi smiled and repeated the gesture before he realized Yami's lips hadn't moved.

The 'dream' came rushing back – Yugi blinked as his brain processed the information. He and Yami…was it possible?

Closing his eyes, he sought for the part of himself that felt 'different'. Gently he projected a single one-word thought at that part…:Yami.:

:Mmm: Yami rolled over in his sleep, curling into a ball. :Five more minutes.:

:Yami?: Yugi giggled and poked his mate with a finger. Yami made a little squeaky sound of protest, so Yugi poked him again, to the same effect. This was kind of fun!

:Go away…sleepy…: Yami rolled over again, grabbing Yugi around his waist and hauling the demon down beside him. :Teddy.:

Yugi was almost convulsing with laughter. :Yami…wake up…:

Yami hugged him tighter. :Hush, teddy.: He snuggled his face against Yugi's back. Yugi wiggled around and poked him between the eyes.

:Huh?: Yami blinked at him, half-asleep. Suddenly an image appeared in Yugi's mind; a picture of the demon dressed in a teddy-bear suit with little fluffy bat wings. His giggling surfaced again…had that been Yami's dream?

:Hello?: The communicating without words bit was getting second-nature by now – he didn't have to think about it. He waved his hand in front of Yami's drowsy crimson-violet eyes. :Do hear me?:

:Yes, I hear you.: Yami tried to slump back down on the bed. :Now can I go back to sleep?:

:Lazy. No, you can't – you need food. And have you noticed that my mouth isn't moving? And neither is yours for that matter?:

:What are you…: Yami blinked and the last of the sleep faded from his expression. :Are…are we talking in our heads? Like in that dream last night?:

:Yes…: Yugi giggled at the sudden flood of excitement in Yami's mind. :I think because of the mating bond…erf!: The breath left his lungs as Yami tackled him.

:COOL!: Yami laughed, squeezing and kissing him breathless. :This is wild!:

Yugi blinked, trying to wrap his mind around the concept of Yami being so…exuberant. Then he mentally shrugged – he certainly couldn't complain about his mate laughing and wriggling on his lap. He wrapped his arms around Yami and kissed him back, light playful kisses on the nose and cheeks. It became a game, as Yami tried to kiss his mouth, while Yugi kept getting him on other parts of the face. They were both giggling fit to wake the dead.

"Get a room, you two." Bakura growled from the other bed. "Some of us were up all night!"

"Sorry, Bakura." They answered in perfect tandem, then grinned at each other and added, "But we are in a room!"

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Later, fed and cleaned, three demons and one human left with the dusk, heading along the last leg to Kyoto, Yami cradled in Yugi's arms. They had amused themselves by answering every question in perfect tandem all afternoon, driving Bakura up the wall and sending Ryou into hysterical giggles.

Yami snuggled tight up against his mate, lost in thought. He'd been wondering all afternoon what else the mating ritual might have done to him besides the link with Yugi. Who knows…he might be immortal now, like Bakura. But he knew two things had changed, on a purely mental level; for one, he was almost deliriously happy. He couldn't remember feeling like this, ever.

For another, his memories had changed. They were still there, of course, but not so close, nor so obsessive… as though he had left Father behind years ago rather than a few days. A shadow veiled them, thought it didn't touch his recent memory with Yugi or his time before living with Father and Mother.

:Are you alright, Yami?: Yugi's voice touched his mind, worry and love colouring the thoughts. He smiled. He loved the feel of Yugi's mind in his, the love and the presence chasing away the loneliness and depression that had dogged him nearly half of his life.

:I'm fine. Just thinking.:

:Don't think too hard, beloved…I don't want you too tired when we get to Kyoto.:

:Why not?:

Yugi sent him a mental image that made him blush bright red even as it stirred his libido. :Yugi! Is that all you ever think about?:

:No…but I don't think you're quite ready for the rest of it.:

Yami blinked…then swallowed. :You're probably right…:

He half-slept most of the rest of the flight, not thinking or pondering, just letting his mind drift.

It was in the darkest part of the night that he heard it…the sound of his name being called.

:Yugi? What is it?:

:Hmm? I didn't say anything, lover.:

:I thought I heard someone call my name…:

:Well, it wasn't me, and I didn't hear Ryou or Bakura say it, so you must have been dreaming.:

:Strange…: Yami shook his head. Weird dream…

---- ---- ---- --- ---- --- ---- ----

False dawn had spread across the land when they arrived at Yugi's apartment in Kyoto. Yami sighed and stretched – who knew that sitting still for so long could be so fatiguing? He watched as the demons also stretched, then flipped their wings closed in the silvery half-light, the limbs vanishing from mortal sight.

"What floor is the apartment on?" Yami asked as they walked into the building, towards the elevator.

"Top floor." Yugi answered, pressing the button. "It's actually larger than the one in Tokyo, but not as nice – it's a standard apartment, not a studio suite." He explained as the elevator rose to the top floor. "Still, there's a guest room you and Bakura can use, Ryou."

"Thank you, Yugi." The storm demon smiled. Bakura grunted, which Yami by now was guessing meant thanks.

The doors opened – they left the tiny room and followed Yugi down the hall, turning a corner to find a pile of boxes outside the door – with a teenager sitting on them, dressed in a long trenchcoat over a suit, typing away at a laptop. He looked up as they froze in the hall, and Yami got a good look at the dark brown hair and icy blue eyes.

"Oh, Gods." He whispered. "Kaiba."

----- ----- ------ ----- ----- --

AN:

Notice: Missing Plotbunny. If anyone has seen a plotbunny with big purple chibi eyes and fangs, answering to the name Usagi, could you please e-mail me? Thanks.

I'm sorry, minna! My plotbunny ran away; that's why I've been so long with this update. And I don't think he likes school…Anyway, I'll try to find him, so I can have the next chapter up more quickly!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and everyone who read this! Review replies next chapter, k?


	10. Future, Present, Past

Title: A Game of Masques

Chapter: 10?

Author: Lee-Ann Shadowdancer (AKA Silvershadowfire)

Rating: This chapter – R.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YuGiOh- the story is mine.

Spoilers: None. This is AU.

Warnings: None.

Constructive criticism encouraged.

AN: _This is a flashback _:This is the mindlink: "Quotes" are spoken aloud and _'These are thoughts'_.

Chapter 10 – Future, Present, Past

Three demons and one human stared at Seto Kaiba in shock, not knowing what to do or say. Kaiba, however, took the initiative.

"I am Seto Kaiba. Which of you is Yugi Takahashi?" he asked, looking at each of them – except Yami – in turn.

"That's me." Yugi stepped to the forefront of the group and crossed his arms. "What are you doing here?" he demanded as politely as he could, considering the waves of panic flowing from his mate. "And what do you want with me?"

Kaiba gave him a polite smile that never reached his icy eyes. "I was looking for Yami Mutou and found him." He started. "But he got lost again – my men identified the two people with him; Jonouchi Katsuya and Honda Hiroto. Neither had Yami Mutou staying with him…but a list of known associates showed an emancipated minor orphan named Yugi Takahashi. I thought…he lives alone, and is financially independent – he could handle another person living in his house. Imagine my surprise when I called at the school to find out that he had transferred out of Tokyo High. I went to his house, and found it empty…" Kaiba tapped the box he was sitting on. "I tracked your luggage."

Yugi's mouth almost dropped open.

"As for what I want with you…it is a business proposition." The CEO of Kaiba Corp finished blandly.

"Yugi…we might not want to discuss this in the hallway…" Ryou said softly. His pale blue eyes were solemn…he knew they might have to do something permanent to get Kaiba off their trail, and it would be better done in private. Yugi nodded and turned back to the young CEO.

"Please come in." he pulled out a set of keys and opened the door, gesturing for everyone to follow him. Yami made an odd sound as Yugi moved…he refused to let go of his mate's shirt. :Shh, love. I promise…one way or the other he's not taking you back to your father.:

Bakura and Ryou hauled the boxes in from the hallway while Yugi sat Kaiba down on a couch, Yami still clinging to the back of his mate's shirt.

"I'm listening." Yugi stated softly. "But I tell you now…I won't allow you to take Yami back to his father's house. He was being abused, in the eyes of justice if not in the eyes of mortal laws, and I refuse to put him back in that situation."

"I'm not asking you to." Kaiba answered. "I said I have a business proposition, and I do. I am displeased with the efforts of Kyoshori Mutou in running his business of late, and have launched an investigation into his business practices. However, I cannot find any evidence of wrongdoing…so I have decided to be rid of him in another way.

"If I provide the financing - through an untraceable source, of course – would you and Yami Mutou consider conducting a hostile takeover of the business? I don't know what business experience you have, but I know that he" – he nodded towards Yami - "has been trained in the industry, so he would be quite able to run the business…and it would give him the financial stability to acquire the status of an emancipated minor."

Yugi blinked. "You knew about the abuse already."

"I did…but not until Mutou ran away. His situation…was not unsimilar to my own."

"And you want to allow him to do the same thing you did…and gain his freedom."

"Not exactly." Kaiba admitted with a wry, bitter twist to his lips. "And I should warn you…if his father is anything like my own was, he will not be willing to give up easily."

-

Yami chewed on his bottom lip as he considered everything. He didn't want to go anywhere near Father ever again…but status as an emancipated minor would give him freedom…and Father would be charged with kidnapping and assault should he try anything. He knew how to run a business, in theory at least, and there would be enough experiences people already there to help until he gained enough practical knowledge. :Um…Yugi…:

:Yes, love:

:You won't mind this:

:No. I don't know anything about mortal business practices, but I will help you and support you to the best of my ability.:

:Alright, then. We'll do it.:

Yugi sent him a wave of love and pride. He blushed.

"Very well." Yugi said to Kaiba. "We agree."

-

"Well?" Bakura asked a little later, after the business man had left to begin the necessary paperwork.

"Everything's okay." Yami smiled. "Kaiba wants to help us…to take over Father's business and ruin him financially."

"Good." Bakura grinned…and for once an identical look of vicious satisfaction crossed Ryou's face as well.

"I think that would be better than killing him." The storm demon noted calmly, that evil smile still playing on his lips. "And Yami…you could prove that you are stronger than 'he' will ever be. We…" his gesture included Yugi as well "already know that, but if you prove it to _him_, then you will never have to worry about your family ever again."

-

Marik was past furious. He and his brother had been searching this damned island for the past day and not gotten so much as a sniff of Yugi. If the information had been correct, they would have at least found traces…even if he had left. But there wasn't anything.

"Kaiba tricked us." Malik said in a too-calm voice, fingers lightly stroking the Millennium Rod. "Obviously he adjusted the information after he found it."

The younger hunter-demon snarled and punched a nearby wall, his hand passing clear through with a thunderous detonation. Dust and bits of brick flew everywhere, but Marik just growled again. "I say we go back to Domino, string him up by his entrails and use him as a piñata!"

"Calm down, brother." Malik said smoothly. It was strange how the twins seemed to switch characteristics when they became angry; the younger brother lost it and the elder became calm, focused. "We may be going at this the wrong way."

"What the HELL is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that Kaiba has no real reason to help us…but if we contact someone who does…"

"You mean the father? We don't even know if Yami Mutou and Yugi are even still together."

"Nevertheless, it is a start…and remember, we can use the mortal as bait to lure out our prey. But I think this time we should do this without coercion…" Malik tapped the Rod for emphasis. "See what willing cooperation can get us."

"We're demons, brother. He wouldn't help us willingly…mortals are frightened of us, remember." He paused. "Well, except for the stupid ones and the zealously faithful ones."

"He wants his son back – and he has no way of knowing that they _aren't_ together anymore. This will be easy."

"Fine. We'll try it." The twin demons opened a portal to Hell. They had a report to make to their employer.

-

Bakura and Ryou left soon after Kaiba, cordially turning down Yugi's offer of the spare bedroom – which left Yugi and Yami alone. The demon was exhausted, but there were still clothes to put away and food to make. Yami didn't have to foggiest idea how to cook, and while Yugi wouldn't mind teaching him - and having all kinds of fun in the process – tonight he was just too damned tired.

He felt warm arms around his waist and a delicate breath tickled his cheek as Yami laid his head on Yugi's shoulder. "You're exhausted." The teenager said quietly. "Let me get this done, and I'll order in dinner for us; you get some rest."

"No…its okay, I'll…" he yawned hugely, and Yami smirked.

"Go on…I'll do this, okay? Let me take care of you this time."

"Alright." Yugi conceded the fight; Yami pushed him in the general direction of the bedroom before going to get a box of their clothes. "There's some money in my wallet – use that to get us dinner. Make sure you have them deliver – I don't want to take a chance."

:No problems.: Yami sent. :I'll wake you up when it gets here.:

:M'kay.: This mind-link was a wonderful thing…already Yugi couldn't believe that he'd ever lived without the sense of his love in the back of his mind. Even when they weren't using it to communicate, the feel of Yami's soul was there, a constant flow of love coming from the human teen. Yugi sighed happily, stripped off his clothing and climbed into the massive canopy bed – even though he didn't live here all the time, he paid a service to come in and make sure that things were clean and the sheets were washed. Just to keep the place livable. His skin itched with the need for a bath, but that could wait until after dinner. Maybe he could even convince Yami to join him…

Thoughts of shower fun and the sound of Yami humming happily in the back of his mind soothed the demon into sleep.

-

:Yugi.: The demon came awake at the mental nudge of his mate.

:Mmm…I'm up. Dinnertime:

:Yep…just stay there – I'll bring it to you.: Mischief wafted through Yami's mental voice and Yugi smirked, wondering what exactly the teenager had in mind.

:Okay…: He sat up – probably Yami wanted to feed him dinner in bed. And sure enough, when the curtain was pulled back, Yami was holding a tray – and, to Yugi's delight, not wearing a stitch of clothing. He was blushing, a beautiful red colour that almost matched the red highlights in his hair, though.

"Dinnertime!" Yami announced, putting the tray in Yugi's hands while he slid into the bed beside his mate. Yugi managed to tear his eyes away long enough to see that Yami had ordered Chinese food – including sweet and sour chicken balls, which brought all kinds of fun ideas to his mind.

He put the tray down between them, grinning like an idiot.

:Are you laughing at me?" Yami asked, blushing even harder.

:No, love.: Yugi snickered. :Just a passing thought. So, how are we going to eat this:

"I thought…I could feed you and you could feed me." Yami stammered a little, then ducked and picked up one of the pairs of chopsticks on the platter. "What would you like first?"

"Ummm…how about some chow mein?" He closed his eyes and held his mouth open, while Yami picked up some of the food and managed to get it to his mouth. He blushed brighter as a couple of the noodles dropped to Yugi's bare chest, picking them up with his fingers and eating them himself. Yugi inwardly giggled as he picked up his chopsticks.

"Your turn." He plucked a chicken-ball from its home in the sweet and sour sauce and held it up. Yami smiled a little and closed his eyes, opening his mouth for the meat; Yugi 'accidentally' let a couple drops of sauce fall on Yami's bare chest. Yami gasped as the warm liquid fell on his skin.

"Oops. I guess I'll have to clean that up." Yugi leaned over and licked the sauce off, savouring the flavour – sweet and sour Yami. The teenager moaned a little at the sensation.

"Hold on…" he whimpered. "We'll never get through dinner if you keep doing that."

"Just getting you ready for dessert." Yugi breathed.

"Hentai." Yami accused, laughing. Yugi giggled in return.

"Never denied it." The demon pointed out. "Besides, you started it."

Yami just smirked and popped a piece of almond chicken in his mate's mouth.

-

Marik and Malik knelt before the Demon Prince Azmodeous, Keeper of the Seventh Circle of Hell, giving the appearance of humility at the very least. Azmodeous' consort was conspicuously absent, and the demon was in a foul mood.

"Report." He snapped.

Malik spoke in a calm clear voice, telling their employer everything that had occurred thus far. The Demon Lord was more powerful than they, but not stupid…they were, after all, dukes in their own right, the twin sons of Anubis. So they had no fear of being destroyed for bringing the Prince bad news.

"You say that Yugi has kidnapped Yami Mutou, the son of Kyoshori Mutou?" He sounded even more annoyed. "I want the mortal found as well – I will double your normal price, but he has to be returned to his father unharmed. And I will put you in contact with the boy's father – he owes me a favour."

"We were planning on the same thing." Marik agreed. His brother merely grunted.

"Good." Azmodeous leaned back on his throne. "Just make sure you find one the mortal boy within the month. I have plans for him."

"Yes, my lord." Marik rose gracefully, followed a moment later by his brother. The both bowed again before the Demon Lord handed them a scroll. "Give this to Mutou Kyoshori…he will co-operate with you."

They bowed one last time before exiting the throne room.

Marik opened the scroll and glanced through it, his eyebrows rising in surprise. "Well, this will make things easier. Seems Mutou is in deep with the Prince. Looks like they have some agreement concerning the son."

"Who cares." Malik growled, idly fingering the golden rod at his belt. "Let's go before that bloody demon vanishes again."

Marik nodded, concentrating on opening a portal to the mortal realm. He had been to Mutou's study before, so opening a portal straight there was easy.

It was just their luck that the mortal wasn't there.

"Where is he?" Malik snarled.

"Probably at his office. Don't spaz, brother…and don't break anything." Marik settled himself in Kyoshori's office chair and smiled. "Have a seat…we'll wait."

-

Kyoshori Mutou rode the elevator down from his top-floor office, his mind a thousand miles away. Somehow, Yami had apparently vanished from Japan – there was no sign that he had attempted to use one of the resources for runaways, or gone to the police, or to the government… he must be on the streets.

He didn't even want to consider that his son might be dead.

The glass wall of the lift gave him a magnificent view of the city; absently he wondered if Yami was out there. Somewhere. His dark gaze watched the crimson and violet clouds – so like the eyes of his beloved Keiko.

He'd only been seventeen when Yami was born…seventeen, still in school, and his lover – beautiful Keiko - had died in the birth.

_The smell of antiseptic and blood thick in his nostrils as he was pushed out of the room. "Hold on, love…hold on for me…please don't leave me." _

_The squalling of a child filled his ears. So tiny – small enough to hold in his one hand - small enough to crush. _Yami had almost died as well – 6 weeks premature, he had spent the first few months of his life in the hospital while Kyoshori had tried to find someone to take the sickly child. Keiko's parents had never approved of him – they refused to have anything to do with the infant. His father had finally agreed. _"I will take him, son, but in return…you have to finish your education and get a decent job. He will need you when he gets older. I will be his grandfather, but he will require a father." _

Kyoshori had spent the next few years frantically studying and researching. He graduated top of his class, went onto Tokyo University and graduated with a Master's Degree in business. But he had hit a roadblock – no one had been willing to hire him.

Until the night he had met…_him_.

_Kyoshori finished tracing the circle and filling in the symbols, copying them from the book with exacting care. His father never knew about Kyoshori's dabbling into the occult – not that it mattered now. His father hated him, after all. He kept swinging Yami under his nose like a trophy, like bait, or a dare. "You have to succeed in order to support him." And the child would stare at him with huge innocent violet-crimson eyes. Keiko's eyes._

_Damn the old man anyway. He hated being pushed, and being obligated was even worse. _

_Double and triple checking the circle, he walked around it three times. He had tried to succeed as was demanded of him, tried and failed…and he refused to take a job in the 'service industry'… that was too demeaning for someone with his skills and education. But there might be another way. A way that would demand a price, but he had nothing left to lose. _

_Chanting the strange words and phrases, he cast the spell to summon one who would grant him his greatest desire. _

_And in a roil of red smoke, He had appeared. Tall, human save for vast wings and purely black eyes. Pale skin, as though he had never seen the sunlight…and on his head a circlet of steel. He had summoned a Demon Prince, one of the Lords of Hell – the one known as Azmodeous._

"_Who are you, and why do you dare to summon me?" the Prince demanded in a voice that shook dust from the roof above. _

"_Only a mortal – I wish to bargain with you, Demon Prince. I will pay what price you seek in exchange for my fondest wish."_

"_Indeed." The demon looked at him, through him, as though reading his very soul – which he probably was. "I cannot grant the wish of your heart – I am powerful, but I cannot bring back your Keiko – she lives on in Heaven, where I and mine cannot reach. But I can give you worldly success – and with that will come the ability to strike back at those you hate. Do you not wish to prove to the world and to your father that you are not a failure? I will grant you the ability to succeed – for a price." _

"_What price?" Kyoshori demanded, hiding the pain that he could never again hold his Keiko. _

"_I wish a body, a true human body that I can use to move in the Human Realms without worry of the consequences."_

"_But…" Kyoshori looked at the demon's form in confusion. _

"_Demon Lords are forbidden to move on the material plane in their human forms unless they are summoned by a mortal – and even then we cannot stay for longer than a day and a night. I wish to be free of this restriction."_

"_And when you get your body, will you leave me to my own devices?" _

"_Of course not. I will continue to support you with my favour – and in return you will grant me access to the highest levels of human society in Japan. I would say that is a fair exchange, wouldn't you?"_

_Kyoshori nodded, mind racing. Where would he get a body for the demon to use? _

"_Does it have to be an adult?" he asked as a thought ran through his mind. "Would a child do?" _

"_A child…no. I do not wish to be saddled with the weaknesses of a child, or a teenager. I wish a healthy, adult body." _

_Kyoshori thought fast, before the demon decided to lay claim to _his_ form. "I know of a body that you could take over – but it is a child. In 9 years he will be an adult…and legal to move and live as he will in this country. My son, Yami. I will give his body to you on his eighteenth birthday." _

_The demon considered the offer. "Very well…but I wish to see the child before the bargain is sealed. Where is he now?"_

"_At my father's house – I will bring him here in the next week, and summon you again so that you can look him over. If he is acceptable…"_

"_IF he is acceptable…you have a deal, mortal." _

Yami had turned out to be acceptable to the demon – Kyoshori had been instructed to break the boy's mind and spirit without harm to his body. Easily enough done – he had succeeded, and all was going according to plan.

The very next day he was hired by a small company, which he took over and built up until it was big enough to be noticed by Kaiba Corp and absorbed into the conglomerate.

He'd re-married into a socially advanced family – there was no love in the marriage, and it had never been consummated. He hadn't been able to be with anyone, woman or man, since Keiko had died. His wife knew that her only role in his life would be as a trophy – a businessman had to be married and 'stable' in order to be taken seriously; in return she was allowed to take as many lovers as she wished and to live comfortably off his money.

Lost still in thought, he got in his limo for the drive home.

-

Yugi seemed to float in the dark, comfortable, yet restless. He could see nothing; at the same time he could feel eyes on him. Watching and weighing him.

Voices drifted through the dark, vague and familiar all at once.

"_There he is. Is he acceptable?" _Where had he heard that cold mortal's voice before?

"_Indeed…most acceptable. He will have to be broken before I take him…his soul is ancient, and his will and mind are strong. He must not even have the desire to fight back." _Yugi shivered at that voice. He knew it somehow – he knew he'd heard it before. A calculating voice that knew nothing of love, humanity or compassion.

"_Is he really so strong willed that a demon prince fears him? He is only a child…a sickly child who killed his mother with his birth." _The first voice again, filled with curiosity.

"_Obviously you cannot see it. This child will bear careful watching; he has the potential to be a shadow mage of great power. His power is still locked, for now…I suggest you give it no reason to awaken." _

"_How can I prevent it?" _

"_Break his mind…but don't touch his body. No matter what the age, physical abuse will cause his power to wake in order to protect its host. Mental anguish, however, will actually weaken that power. A strong will is needed to direct magical energies." _Yugi shivered. This one truly had no compassion, if he could speak of breaking someone's spirit so easily.

"_Alright." _This one had no compassion either, for all that he was mortal, to agree so easily to such an outrageous demand.

Then the sense of being watched vanished, and he felt eyes not his own open, blinking sleepily as they glanced around for the noise that had awakened their owner. Yugi saw them glance into the mirror on the far side – and met with familiar violet-crimson.

'_Yami!'_ Yugi gasped as he awoke, like a swimmer breaching the water to gulp precious air. He panted as he glanced down at Yami wrapped in his arms, sleeping peacefully now. But he had no doubt he had seen one of Yami's dreams… a memory.

'_This must be a side-effect of the link.'_ He realized. Strong dreams and thoughts could pass over when they slept and their natural guards were down.

Pulling away carefully, Yugi rose from the bed to pace across the bedroom floor, stopping at the window. He looked at the early false dawn over the mountains of Kyoto, running Yami's dream through his mind. The first voice – that had to be Kyoshori. He'd only heard Yami's father a couple of time before, but that voice would stick in his mind until he gave the mortal his due.

The second…it too was familiar. Not human, no - deep, and powerful enough to shake mountains when enraged. Who…

Suddenly it clicked in his brain, and the blood drained from Yugi's face. _'Azmodeous. The Demon Prince is going to possess Yami…by his own father's will. That, that…'_ His vocabulary failed – he could think of no word in any language to fit a mortal who would hand over his own son to a demon. Although a great many things made sense now – Azmodeous wouldn't want a child, and he had the patience of many immortals. For the prize of a mortal body, he could wait a few years until Yami was grown. And the treatment of the father suddenly made perfect sense. Yami's body – as Yugi knew quite intimately by now – was perfect. But his mind and will, weak and vulnerable.

It all made sense now. Like the pieces of a puzzle, everything fell into place. _'I bet the exchange was to take place on Yami's eighteenth birthday. That would allow him to enter college, and to move away, and give the Demon Lord enough time to adjust to being human before he puts his plans into motion – whatever they are. And his magic would be able to keep a human body from aging…becoming effectively immortal.' _Yugi glanced at his beautiful mate with a loving and ever so slightly possessive smile. _'Well, looks like I messed up another of Azmodeous' plans. Yami's mine and I'm his – from what Otogi said, no demon should be able to claim him until I die now that he and I are mated. I just have to keep away from Marik and Malik, long enough for him to turn eighteen. The deal should be null and void at that point, and Azmodeous won't be able to touch him. The hunters will still be after me, but when he turns eighteen we can take a trip around the world; lay a lovely false trail around the planet that'll keep those demons looking for the next decade.'_

Satisfied for now with his plans, Yugi walked back to the bed and crawled in beside his mate, taking up the position he had left earlier – spooned up against Yami's back, with his love in his arms.

He drifted back into sleep as an odd thought flickered through his brain. _'We're together now and forever – and there is no force on earth or in Hell that will ever stand between us.' _


	11. Settling In

I know it's been a month or more since I updated, for which you have my humblest apologies. It's a combination of RL and lack of inspiration – please forgive me and enjoy the latest chapter.

Special thanks go to Cha Oseye Tempest Thrain, Sansi and DracOnyx, my beta readers, and Bakura's Angel, my honarary muse. They all write on here as well; go check out their stuff!

AN: _This is a flashback _:This is the mindlink: "Quotes" are spoken aloud and _'These are thoughts.'_

**Chapter 11 – Settling In**

Kyoshosi walked into his office to find a nasty surprise.

"Evening, Mutou-san," one of the blonds lounging in his office greeted him cheerily. He scowled at the intruder.

"Get out of my office now, before I call security." He snapped, hand tightening with anger on the handle of his briefcase.

"Mmm." The other blond, slightly heavier in build and with wilder hair, shook his head. "Now that's polite. Can I persuade him now, Marik?"

"No, brother." The smaller of the two grinned wickedly. "I have all the persuasion we need right here." He held out a rolled up scroll to Kyoshori with a smirk, and the businessman went white. He knew that seal.

He swallowed as his hand moved on its own to take the scroll, feeling sweat beading on his skin as he opened it up to read.

_Kyoshori;_

_It has come to my attention that the item of our agreement has come up missing. This is distressing, as the date agreed upon for transfer is in less than a month. I have sent these two demons to aid in your search, as I have reason to believe that the one they seek and the one you seek are together. _

_You have less than a month. Breach of this agreement will not be looked upon kindly. _

_Azmodeous, Prince of the Seventh Circle._

Kyoshori swallowed. His secret was out – not good. "What are your names?" he asked, trying to smooth a veneer of professional detachment over his voice.

"Marik and Malik – twin sons of Anubis, the best hunters in Hell." The smaller of the two rose and bowed mockingly, indicating himself, then the other, who hadn't moved during the whole interview. Kyoshori wished he would – it was starting to get on his nerves. "At your service. We think that your little boy was spirited away by an incubus named Ludus – though I understand he's calling himself Yugi now."

"An incubus…Yami was stolen by another demon?" Of all the possibilities, that one had never occurred to him.

"And I hope your agreement with Azmodeous didn't include Yami being a virgin." Marik's grin grew as he sat himself cross-legged on the desk . "Because I can guarantee that Yugi's changed _that_ by now."

Kyoshori shook his head. "No. Now, can you please get up so I can put my papers away? Then we'll go have a talk – without all the witty repartee – and see what can be done to find both Yami and this 'Yugi' person."

* * *

Yami sighed as he slowly woke from troubled, vivid dreams. Warm arms wrapped around his waist held him in place and he smiled sleepily, cuddling a little closer to his mate. He'd been having the strangest dreams all last night – bits and pieces from his past intertwined with flying lessons, magic lessons, and some 'classes' that made him blush. The only thing he could think of was that somehow he'd been sharing Yugi's dreams. 

The incubus stirred slightly and blinked, opening amethyst eyes. "Yami?" he asked softly. :What time is it, love:

"Dunno – just woke up myself." Yami yawned. "Too early – I want more sleep."

"Mmm," Yugi mumbled, absently kissing the back of Yami's neck. "I can handle that – you make a good pillow."

Yami was about to snuggle right back down when an urgent call from his body made him realize something important. :Yugi…let me go. I have to pee.:

:Oh, fine.: Yugi let him go; Yami scrambled out of bed towards the bathroom. The room wasn't as large as the Tokyo version, but it had all the requisite equipment.

:Don't bother flushing.: Yugi walked in, running a hand through sleep-mussed hair. Yami stepped back, business finished, to admire his mate's body. He couldn't believe how quickly he was adjusting to this life…there was something about Yugi that, since the mating ritual, set him totally at ease. _'Might have something to do with the fact that after seeing each other's soul, nudity isn't such a big deal...'_

"Hey, daydreamer…shower time." Yugi poked him in the ribs, a wide smile on his face. Yami squirmed a little at the tickling sensation, then laughed.

"Can I wash your back?"

"Only if I can wash yours," the demon answered easily. They walked over to the wide tiled shower – like in Tokyo, this bathroom was set up for a traditional Japanese bath. They washed each other with lavender-scented soap before filling the huge tub and settling in to soak in the steaming water. Yami sighed in bliss. He glanced up at his mate as Yugi slid over to nuzzle beside him. :I saw that look you were giving me.: he whispered . :Something you want to tell me, love: the demon added with a wicked mental smirk as he stroked Yami's manhood – already half-erect from earlier – to full attention.

:Ng.: Yami managed as pleasurable sensations rose in his body, clouding his mind as the steam clouded the air. To his surprise Yugi kept the pace steady, never increasing it. He was starting to feel blissfully relaxed, the water and the motions of Yugi's hand combining to make his brain turn to mush. Yugi kissed his neck and face; Yami shivered and his eyes slid shut, just enjoying the moment.

* * *

After the bath, Yugi led Yami over to the TV, opening the cabinet beside it. Inside were literally hundreds of games for three different systems. Yugi grinned at the shock and delight on his lover's face. "Pick one." He invited. "We can play a few rounds." 

Yami picked Tetris World, and Yugi smirked inwardly. He was excellent at that game; magnanimously, he decided to play at maybe half of his true skill, just to give his mate a chance.

Yami thumped him in two minutes.

Yugi blinked at the screen, then stared at Yami with his jaw hanging open and his eyes huge. "How…"

"Mmm…did I mention I'm really, really good at Tetris?" Yami asked with a small, mocking smile.

* * *

The sun was high and cutting through the morning's hazy clouds when Ryou and Bakura arrived at Yugi's apartment, wings folding gracefully as they landed lightly on the balcony. 

"Yugi!" Ryou called, sliding open the glass door. Yugi knew his demon friends had a habit of dropping by this way, so he rarely locked the French doors. "Are you up yet?"

"Come in!" Yugi's voice called, leading Ryou and Bakura to the living room, where he and Yami were sitting on the couch, controllers in hand, both intent on the TV screen. Bakura walked over and leaned against the back of the couch.

"Ryou," he called to his mate. "You should see this."

The storm demon joined Bakura, looking over at the TV…and felt his jaw slowly dropping open.

Yugi had always been good at games…not just the game of seduction, but all games, especially puzzle games like Tetris. No one, be they demon, mortal or electronic, had ever been able to beat the King of Games since he'd hit 50.

Yami was matching him move for move. Ryou couldn't see how they did it, with the blocks falling like rain down the screen, but they were neck and neck; Yugi had a five point lead, but that would vanish as Yami pulled off another series of rows. Then the incubus would fight back, regaining his lead – only to have it taken from him again.

At this rate the game would run out of numbers before either won.

Ryou cleared his throat. "Have you two had breakfast yet?"

Yugi shook his head, never taking his eyes from the screen. "No, we…"

"…decided that the…"

"…loser of this game would…"

"…have to do the dishes…"

"…from last night."

Bakura blinked, and Ryou stifled a giggle as his lover growled. "Don't start that again."

"But, Bakura…" Yami started, all innocence.

"…you only said…"

"…it bothered you…"

"…when we spoke in unison," Yugi finished.

Ryou bit his lip to keep from laughing. "It's almost eleven, you two…don't you think it would be a good idea to eat?"

"You mean we've been at this for two hours?" The pair spoke in perfect tandem; Bakura groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Sorry, Bakura," they added, not sounding sorry at all.

"Never mind," the gaki growled. Ryou tugged his mate's arm, and together they walked into the kitchen. Bakura didn't eat – he could, but only for the flavour – so Ryou did all the cooking. The storm demon really didn't have to eat either, but he could draw some sustenance from human food, so he did… it meant less natural energies that he had to draw on to sustain himself, which meant less notice from other demons and sorcerers in the area.

A cry of triumph interrupted Ryou's search for food; shortly thereafter Yugi walked in, a huge grin on his face, followed by a scowling Yami.

"I don't think I need to ask who won," Bakura noted dryly.

"Yeah – finally got him." Yugi grinned at his lover and ran a hand over his cheek. "It's okay, love – you're the first person to hold me at a stalemate for over two hours. That's something to be proud of… and it could just as easily have gone to you." The demon leaned over and kissed Yami, who blushed a bit and then sighed.

"Well, since I lost…" He winced a little as he turned, and Bakura perked up suddenly, his nose twitching.

"Wait a sec." Standing, Bakura walked up to Yami, who was watching him with nervous eyes. Yugi glanced over at Ryou, who shrugged. He didn't know what his mate was up to either. "Yami, take your shirt off."

"What? Why?"

Yugi frowned…Ryou put a hand on the incubus' shoulder. "Bakura, what is it?"

"I have a feeling…just take the shirt off and turn around." Yami paused for a second; then Yugi nodded almost imperceptibly and Yami obliged, body still tense.

Ryou gasped. On either side of the spine, just under the shoulder blades, red lumps the size of a fist had erupted. Yugi blinked, shocked.

"Those weren't there this morning…" he murmured. "What in the Hells…"

"It's just his wings coming in," Bakura noted nonchalantly, sitting back down at the table.

"Wings?" This time Bakura grinned at the word spoken in unison, Yugi stared at him in shock; Yami tried to see what they were talking about, failing miserably.

"Wings." The gaki flexed his black leather pinions. "You think I was born with these?"

"His wings emerged about three days after we mated," Ryou noted. It had been such a long time ago, he'd forgotten. "It's rather like when a demon's wings sprout, but faster – and Bakura ate like a starving wolf for days afterwards."

"Takes a lot of energy." Bakura grinned lazily, playing with a knife he'd pulled from his sleeve. "I won't lie to you, Yami…it hurts like the fires of the thousand hells when they pop, but it's worth it… after that, and when you build up the muscles, you can fly." His voice drifted a bit and a look of almost dreamy longing came over his face.

Ryou smiled gently at his mate before turning the look at a white-faced Yami, idly smoothing his shirt. "Don't worry too much about it – there are things Yugi can do to help ease the pain; in the meantime, you really should eat."

Numbly Yami nodded and wandered off towards the bedroom to get the dinner dishes. Ryou cocked his head at Yugi, who had stopped in mid-stride, obviously not paying any attention to his surroundings.

"Yugi?" Ryou shook his shoulder. "Why don't you go talk to him?" The incubus nodded numbly before heading off after his lover. Ryou and Bakura exchanged a glance before the storm-demon started preparing brunch.

* * *

"Yami?" Yugi walked into the bedroom to find his mate standing in front of the mirror, inspecting his back as best he could. "Are you all right?" 

"I think so…it just never occurred to me that I might sprout wings like you."

"Are you okay with that?" Yugi took him in a gentle embrace, ready to comfort. To share – or even just be there.

"It's not like you could do anything to stop it, right?" Yami pointed out with a smile. "No, actually, I'm okay…I love your wings, after all. I only hope mine are half so beautiful."

:If they are half so beautiful as you, my love, then they will outshine the Sun.: Yugi sent. Yami grinned a little, leaning into his grasp.

They stayed that way for a long moment until a noise from outside caugh their attention. "Come on." Yugi helped Yami pick up the tray with the remnants of their dinner on it. "I'll show you how to cook…so that you don't have to order out all the time."

"I'm sure I'll be horrible at it…"

"Nah…just takes practice." Yugi grinned and Yami followed him out. They found that cooking lessons wouldn't be necessary that day – Ryou had things well in hand. The storm demon ushered them all out the door to join Bakura in the dining room. Yugi and Yami sat so close together they were nearly in the same chair, Yugi still rubbing Yami's back comfortingly.

"So everything go alright last night?" Bakura grinned, playing with a knife in one hand. "No sign of Marik and Malik?"

"None," Yugi answered with a smile. "It looks like it worked…we can breathe a little easier now. Kaiba should have the emancipation paperwork filed…in a few days, we should get a summons to court and then Yami will be a free person."

"Good." Bakura nodded just as Ryou came out with a plate of sliced bread and some savory spreads as an appetizer.

"Dig in." The demon invited. "The rest should be ready soon."

* * *

"…so there is no way to track them, unless you happen to know the last name this Yugi is going by right now," Kyoshori finished. The three were back in Kyoshori's home office, the demons sipping drinks and nibbling on appetizers like honoured guests. 

"We think that Kaiba might have found him, but he changed the information to send us on a wild goose hunt," Marik stated coolly while Malik growled under his breath, fiddling with the Rod. "What we need is a way to make Kaiba talk - and guarantee that he's telling us the truth."

"There might be a way," Kyoshori tapped a pen on the desk as he thought. "Rumour says he has a younger brother that he would do anything for – his only family since Gozoboro died."

"Excellent." Marik and Malik rose, followed by Kyoshori. "Let's pay Kaiba Corp another visit."

"You have a plan to get in?" Kyoshori asked, surprised.

"No…I thought we'd leave that to you." The twins went to leave the room, but the human held up a hand.

"It might be wise to do this low-key; can you…" He gestured.

Marik blinked. "Oh, the wings. No problem." He concentrated, and his wings seemed to vanish. Malik did the same a moment later.

Kyoshori picked up the phone and called for his car.

Fifteen minutes later they were at Kaiba Corp, pulling up to the large building in Kyoshori's limo.Hehad found a pair of heavy trench coats for the demons; they followed him inside playing the role of bodyguards. Walking into the building and up to Kaiba's office without stopping, they brushed past the secretary and into Kaiba's inner office.

Kaiba looked up from his desk, scattered with papers and other minutae. "What do you want?"

Kyoshori bowed slightly. "I was hoping that you could give me some information on my missing son, Kaiba-sama."

The teen snorted. "If I had any information, I would have passed it on to you."

"I doubt that…" Marik stepped forward. "Hello, Kaiba. You lied to my brother and I last time…don't think you can get away with that." His pleasant smile held no touch of real emotion, and his lavender eyes were hard.

"What are…" Kyoshori started. He glance over his shoulder, sure that security would descend on them en mass any moment.

"Shut up," Malik growled, grabbing Kyoshori by the shoulder and shoving him back.

Marik stalked around the desk to Kaiba, who looked at him with no fear. "You have exactly ten seconds to leave before I call security," Kaiba stated.

"Which is nine seconds longer than you have to live if you don't tell us where Yami Mutou is." Marik's expression became as hard as his eyes; buthis voice never rose.

"ONIISAMA!" A young voice yelled; a moment later a black blur slammed into Marik, bowling the startled demon over. "Get away from him!" the blur screamed, claws scrabbling over Marik's shirt and sparks flying as the blur tried to rip the hunter-demon's heart out. Malik moved swiftly, grabbing the fighting, snarling hellion off his brother.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba made a grab for the kid but Malik pulled him back out of Kaiba's reach.

"What do we have here?" Malik smirked at the diminutive attacker. He held up Mokuba, studying the long black hair, stormy grey eyes, claws – and the bat-wings that flapped from his shoulders as he wiggled in a futile attempt to break Malik's grip.


	12. Dangers

Hey all! Sorry I made you wait, but it wasn't as long as last time, right? Anyhow, review replies are at the bottom – enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 12 – Dangers**

"Drop him, now." Seto Kaiba's voice rang through the room, icy hard and cold as his eyes.

Malik laughed. "So your baby brother is a demon-child. How cute." He poked at Mokuba with a harsh finger. The child snarled, eeling around and burying his teeth in the offending digit. Malik growled and jerked back, shaking his finger angrily. "I wouldn't push it, child," he snapped, raising Mokuba so he could look him in the eye. "If your brother doesn't cooperate, we'll have to take you with us and feed you to Father's pets." Malik glanced up at the human – and he _was_ a human; his scent told nothing else – to gauge his reaction. Kaiba didn't move, didn't even flinch. There was fear in the back of his eyes, but Malik had to reluctantly admire his courage.

"Mokuba…now."

Flame erupted around the boy – Malik yelped in shock and dropped him. Mokuba rolled to his feet and ran to his brother, wrapping his arms around Kaiba's pants – the cloth began to smoulder, but Kaiba showed no discomfort. He reached into his trench coat and pulled out a handgun, pointing it at Malik. "Lockdown," he snapped, and the computer on his desk flickered, dying instantly.

Marik sneered. "Your weapon won't harm us, human," he hissed, stepping forward. "We only want to know where Yami Mutou is – then we'll leave you alone."

"No." Kaiba shook his head. "I'm no fool; you will hold my brother and I until you have what you want – and you will hand Yami back over to _that_." He spat in the general direction of Kyoshori. "Not while I have breath." Malik made to move and the weapon swung over to point at him. "And neither of you move – the bullets in this guns _will_ harm a demon." He touched his brother's head – Mokuba's flame had died, leaving him untouched. "Mokuba – let's go."

The Kaiba brothers moved as Mokuba opened a portal, vanishing as it winked closed behind them.

Marik muttered under his breath and Malik growled, moving to where the portal had been. He ran a hand through the space, letting his tracking magicks come to the fore. "It goes to the bottom of the building…we should be able to track them with little problem, brother."

"Don't bother," Kyoshori spoke suddenly. Neither of the twins had noticed that he had moved to Kaiba's cluttered desk and was now shifting through the papers there. "He might have locked me out of the computer system, but he didn't have time to destroy the hard copies – I should be able to find at least some information in here." A certain piece of paper apparently caught his eye; he picked it up and studied it for a long moment before turning to face them.

Kyoshori was far to well disciplined to smile; a businesslike mask had settled over his features. But he couldn't hide the grim satisfaction in his eyes.

"We have them."

* * *

The lights and the noise were overwhelming – Yami felt as though his head was spinning, and he hadn't even drunk anything.

Golden Temptations was what Yugi called a 'mixed' bar – any and all sexual preferences were tolerated and encouraged. Golden oriental dragons writhed on the black-painted walls; red and gold lights flashed and swirled, illuminating the black-stained bar with its golden rails and the dance floor, a seething mass of gyrating bodies. Elsewhere, deep corners of impenetrable shadow lurked. Yugi laughed brightly as he towed him to the bar, his metallic golden shirt and shiny black leather pants seeming to draw the light to him. Yami swallowed, caught between pride and desire for his gorgeous mate – and drop-dead embarrassment.

Yugi had insisted on dressing him for the night too. Now instead of jeans he too wore leather pants – they seemed to rub in unusual places, thanks to the skin-tight briefs he wore instead of boxers - and a shirt of flowing crimson silk over a tight black tank. Yugi'd then sat him down and applied makeup to his face. Not much – just a little eye shadow and liner – but still.

_If Father saw me now, he'd have a cat._

Not that it mattered anymore. They'd gotten the summons today by courier – in three days they would appear in court, and he would be free. That thought was enough to make him drunker than any alcohol. _Free. _He laughed a little and Yugi looked back, shared amusement in his eyes.

Couples - male, female, and mixed - watched them cross the club. He could feel covetous eyes on Yugi and his hand tightened on his mate's, a part of his mind growling 'mine'.

:Don't worry love.: Yugi murmured through their link. :They won't have me, and they can't have you.: Yami gasped at the surge of desire and possessiveness that washed through him as they reached the bar. Yugi snagged them two seats, pulling the stools close together so that he and Yami practically sat in each other's laps.

:What do you want: Yugi asked. One advantage of mind-speaking – they could speak to each other without shouting despite the mind-numbing din.

:I've never had alcohol before.: Yami admitted. :What do you think:

:I think that you should learn to live a little.: Yugi laughed. "Two Singapore Slings!" he hollered to the bartender. Moments later two tall slender glasses filled with yellow, orange and red layers of liquid arrived, a maraschino cherry and orange slice impaled on a cocktail sword for garnish. He watched Yugi take the fruits and dip them in the alcohol before eating them and did the same, savouring the tingling sweetness.

:Stir it before you drink it.: Yugi sent. :Otherwise, it tastes kind of funny.:

Yami nodded, stirring the drink with his straw until the colours blended and taking a cautious sip, surprised with how good it tasted – like spicy tropical juice. It tasted even better when a moment later Yugi pulled him into a deep French kiss that left him dazzled. He grinned like an idiot as they finished their drinks between kisses.

:Come on.: Yami could almost feel his mate's restlessness as the music called to him, and nodded. Yugi gave him that glorious smile and pulled him off the stool, heading for the dance floor.

Yami remembered the first time they had danced – on the night they had met. Had it truly been less than two weeks ago? That night had become one of his most treasured memories.

It was nothing compared to this.

Yugi wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, and snuggled tight, hot and wonderful against his back. Yami rested his head on Yugi's shoulder as they began to move to the beat, the rhythm of the music flowing through them. Yami closed his eyes to the lights as he felt Yugi's hands roaming over his body; thought, will and inhibition vanished as he lost himself to the music and the lights and the movement and Yugi. His mate's joy flowed through him like thick mead, intoxicating him. Wild euphoria filled him and he laughed aloud, past and future forgotten.

There was only the music. Only the dance. And Yugi. Always, always Yugi.

Somehow they ended up face to face; the music slowed to a soft melody that hummed through them. Sweat beaded on Yugi's face, dripping down his body with the exertion; his amethyst eyes glowed with passion and excitement. :You're so beautiful, my tenshi.:

:And you are breathtaking, my beloved darkness.: Yugi's mind voice was bright with love and joy, breathless with delight. :I love you.:

:I love you too.:

* * *

Seto and Mokuba finally stopped running at one of Seto's labs, using his access key to get them inside with no one the wiser. According to the records, this particular lab had been abandoned for years – but the records lied.

This was the place where Seto had met his little brother, and the place they came to when they needed to be undisturbed.

Mokuba ran inside and sprawled on the bed, all six limbs spread wide. "What did they want, niisama?" he asked, storm-grey eyes serious.

"Remember when I told you about Yami Mutou?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Mokuba nodded, crawling into Seto's lap and cuddling there. "Well, that was Yami's father – and it looks like he has a couple of demon thugs. That surprises me – what didn't was the fact that they acted like they were in charge. I would like more information, but I can't be sure that the creatures will give up coming after you and me."

"It's okay, niisama." Mokuba grinned up at him, holding out his right pinkie finger – on which a tiny scar could be seen. Seto held out his own right pinkie and they held them together, the scars matching – remnant of the blood-brotherhood they had sworn in this very room four years before. Seto sighed and hugged Mokuba tightly.

"We should warn Yami and Yugi that Mutou will know where they are." The older of the pair sighed. "That way they can make a run for it."

Mokuba looked confused. "But you locked out the system, niisama. The only way to unlock it is with your DNA, right?"

"Yes – but the information Mutou wants is in hardcopy on my desk." Seto shook his head. "If Kyoshori is smart, he'll stay in that office and pretend to have my blessing to run the place until he can figure out a way around the lockout, then use Kaiba Corp's resources to get back his son."

* * *

Malik and Marik watched Yami and Yugi exit the bar hand-in-hand, their gazes predatory. Now that they knew where the pair were hiding, it was child's play to set up an ambush. They'd hired some human gang to help corner the pair – cannon fodder in case Yugi decided to attack. Their plan lay in grabbing Yami to use against Yugi – the fact that they were still together suggested that Yugi had found a favourite, and would co-operate once they had the boy. Malik would have liked to blood-bound him, but Marik knew that Azmodeous probably wouldn't be happy with that, so they decided instead to use the Rod's powers on him.

The twins separated; Malik took up a station just inside of the alley they planned to use – Marik would be at the other end to make sure their quarry didn't escape. Overhanging balconies and fire escapes, ensuring that Yugi couldn't fly for safety covered the alley.

When Yami and Yugi reached the mouth of the alley, the human gang accosted them, pulling them into the smelly darkness. Yami got slammed up against a Dumpster roughly – Malik smiled as he crept closer, shielded by his own magic. Yami cried out as his head and shoulders bounced against the thin steel. Yugi cried out – Malik glanced up to see the incubus in Marik's grasp, struggling futilely.

He grabbed the mortal's arm – Yami spun to stare at him in shock, his eyes crimson-red in the dim light. Malik held up the Rod, willing it to take over the boy's mind. Suddenly the amulet around the boy's neck began to glow and his eyes when dim and glassy. A third eye of black light flared to life on his forehead; Malik felt the power of the Rod suddenly dissipate to nothing. He stepped back in shock and heard screams behind him. Turning, he saw the shadows moving like living things, attacking the gang members. His brother screamed and he saw Yugi - glowing now with the same rainbow light as Yami's amulet - had broken free and attacked Marik viciously.

Malik left the mortals and ran to Marik's side, pulling Yugi off. The hunter demon gasped as Yugi's teeth buried themselves in the flesh of his shoulder; every nerve ending came alive, triply sensitized. He raked his claws across Yugi's arm; the incubus shrugged off a blow that should have paralyzed him nearly instantly. Yugi's claws dug into his side - he winced as agony seared through his entire body. He struck back, throwing Yugi off him.

Yugi rolled to his feet, wings half-spread for balance, teeth bared, and eyes glowing with rage. A third eye identical to Yami's, only of white light, blazed on his forehead. Dark demon blood dripped from his claws. The light around him grew brighter; his body tensed as though to attack. Malik rolled as Yugi sprang, grabbing his twin and opening a portal to escape.

A mind-roiling moment later they landed in their quarters in Hell. The hunter-demon looked around out of habit, assessing their Spartan, brown-painted living room for anomalies – it wouldn't be the first time that they had been attacked in their own home.

Seeing that everything was as it should be, Malik collapsed to his knees, dragging Marik closer. His twin looked like he had been through a war; at least a dozen bites decorated his shoulders and arms through his shredded shirt, and claw marks bled freely over his chest, arms and back. His stomach looked as though the skin had been flayed down to the muscle. His lavender eyes were wide and unseeing, dilated with shock and pain. He shivered and suddenly went into convulsions, screaming.

"Easy, brother." Malik soothed, running his fingers through Marik's hair until the fit passed. Then he stumbled to his feet and walked over to a cabinet where they kept antidotes to every known demon's venom. They had actually joked when they added the incubus anti-venom, but in truth it was nasty stuff in large doses. It could send the body into spasms as the nerves fired wild messages to the brain, and every touch and motion on the skin would be agony – cuts could send the victim into shock as his body released pain-numbing endorphins and other chemicals.

He took a swig himself before returning to Marik's side, forcing open his jaw and pouring some of the bitter liquid down his throat. Yugi's venom probably wouldn't kill them – but then he would have sworn that no incubus could stand up against one hunter-demon, never mind two, and he refused to lose his twin through carelessness.

He grabbed the healing kit from its place in the cabinet. He wedged a smooth piece of wood into Marik's mouth to keep him from biting off his own tongue from the pain, and started cleaning out Marik's wounds, watching them heal to thin white scars. The bites scabbed over but didn't heal properly until he opened them up and dabbed them with anti-venom. The stomach was a mess; Malik laid a cloth over it to keep out infection and wrapped it tightly - it would take an hour for the skin to heal over.

While he waited, he tended to his own wounds. Yugi's claws had taken a good chunk out of the flesh over his ribs – he growled. Since when could an incubus do that to a hunter-demon? Marik and he should have been able to take Yugi down without a sweat once they laid hands on him.

Maybe – he picked up the Rod, studying it. It had been a gift from their father on their hundredth birthday – he claimed it had been one of seven items of power in Egypt for centuries before some Pharaoh had sealed them away.

Maybe that amulet had been one too…he would have to get Marik to look it up. He didn't have the patience for that kind of research.

A movement at his side caught his attention. "Malik…?" Marik murmured weakly.

"Easy , brother." Malik rubbed his twin's hand. "You got a pretty hefty dose of poison – relax so that the anti-venom can work."

Marik nodded slightly and hissed. "Hellfire…it feels like I've gone through a wind tunnel filled with glass shards."

"I'm not surprised – we didn't expect Yugi to actually attack you."

"Did you get Yami at least?"

Malik shook his head, lifting the edge of the bandage on Marik's stomach to gauge the speed of the healing. "No – and there's something I'm going to have to get you to look up when you're feeling better. He had this amulet – it started to glow when I went to use the Rod on him; those gang-members we hired were destroyed by living shadows. His magic is waking."

Marik nodded, eyes slipping shut as he passed into a more normal sleep. Malik picked him up carefully and carried him to their bedroom, placing him on one of the two twin beds in the room.

Malik snarled and clawed viciously at a stone post kept in a corner of the room for just that purpose. He growled as stone chips flew, bouncing ignored off his face and chest, letting his rage build and build, rising until it boiled over and he fell into the calm on the far side. Marik was still out of commission and there were plans to be made. His clawed hand clenched into fists, cold fire burning in his eyes.

Yugi would pay for this.

Review Replies:

KEWLIO: Thanks!

Pharaoh's Egyptian Arabian: Thanks to you too! I hope this is soon enough.

Ladybard96: I love twists! And honestly, I didn't see that one coming 'til Usagi my plot bunny coughed it up.

Kitz' Melody: Welcome, and thank you for the compliments! (blushes) I really try hard to make the characters 'real' and doing it in atypical roles is a challenge – but lots of fun! And Usagi thanks you for the carrot!

Sansi: Konnichi-wa, tomodachi! Thanks for the review, but Usagi hasn't seen your plot bunny – gomen!

Crimson Anjel: Thanks! I'll keep working on it until the bitter end, promise!

Quill Masters: Hope you got the e-mail I sent you! Don't worry – it make take me a while, but I will finish this.

Aerith Queen of Cetra: I don't think he'll be doing any wall crashing…though if he does, Yugi could kiss it better, ne?

Chelley Angel: Yep – Mokuba's a demon, and Seto's not. Hope that didn't disappoint you!

Crystal56: Welcome! Thank you for the compliments, and I hope you continue to enjoy.

Tyri Dragonite and Alisia D Friesen: Here's the update.

Dark Angel of Fire Ice: Yeah, Mokuba would be a cute demon wouldn't he? Thanks!

Rachel Dragon: He's fitting in – and as you can see in this chapter, Mokuba is a fire demon. Cute, ne?

Kit-kit: Gomen – but Seto's not a demon. Hope that didn't disappoint you…

ladywolfTerri: Thanks! Yeah, Mokie's a demon and the prince is going to be seriously pissed. Kyoshori…you'll just have to see. (wink)

Kiko cat: As you can see, Mokie's fine…Seto would never let anything happen to him. And Yami being beaten…well, only by Yugi! Thanks!

SanurAtheBlooD: Yep, Mokuba has wings! Glad you like the fluff and Bakura!

Silver Thorns: Yep…he knows. I'm even considering writing a side-story showing how they met.

Jaded Katrina: huggles Perhaps…you'll have to read to see!

DracOnyx: huggles back I'm glad you love it! Thanks for the review!

Yamiyugifanadic: Thanks!

S Chensu and Luff: Yep – and I hope some of the confusion is cleared up in this chapter.

Please read, enjoy and review!


	13. Missing

Okay, just to make sure that no one gets confused, this is the fight between Malik and Marik and Yugi and Yami from last chapter. I don't normally do 'doubled time' but I had a couple complaints that the fight was too short and boring – so here it is from Yugi's POV.

It's been forever, but this chapter was Hell to write, so please forgive me. (bows) At lease it is the longest chapter to this point. Enjoy!

Oh - and because I was asked by a reviewer to do this...

Jounouchi: Joey  
Honda: Tristan  
Otogi: Duke Devlin  
Marik is theHikari and Malik is the Yami.

Chapter 13 - Missing

Yugi and Yami strolled out of the club, hand in hand, total content radiating between them. It had been so nice to just get out and have fun, without worry hanging over their heads. Yugi shifted his shoulders and smiled at his mate, who returned the gesture.

They had no warning as the men attacked. Yugi spun and faced them, pulling his mate behind him protectively.

:Yugi – there are more behind us: Yami cried through the link. Yugi swore in Latin, looking up – he didn't like blowing his cover, but… "Shit." He swore. Catwalks and metal girders formed an impassable labyrinth – he couldn't get through it with if he had to carry Yami, and leaving his mate was out of the question. :How many on your end, love:

:Four…: Yami gripped his hand. :You:

:At least eight – we'll have to try and dodge past them in your direction. When I give the signal, run.: Yugi gathered a bit of his magic, casting it at their attackers to disorient them as he turned. :NOW:

They ran for the far side of the alley, Yugi slightly in the lead – only to have Yami cry out as clammy hands grabbed him, pulling him away from Yugi. The demon turned to defend his mate, only to be grabbed himself, hands wrapping around his wrists. Hauled abruptly off his feet, a voice whispered in his ear. "Hello, Ludus."

Yugi froze for a moment as the enormity of the trap set in, then screamed and tried to break free from Marik's grasp. Another cry ripped through the night as the thugs threw Yami up against a dumpster. :YAMI: Yugi struggled harder as the older of the hunters came up beside his mate, a golden wand at the ready. :Yami, no: "Leave him alone!" he snapped at his captor. "You've got me – I'll surrender, just leave him."

"Sorry, little one." Marik tightened his grasp – Yugi felt his wrist bones grinding together as he gave an involuntary cry of pain. "Your playtoy goes back to his daddy-kins."

At that moment the puzzle around his mate's neck started to burn with a strange light. Yugi felt Yami's panic; magic, strange and powerful, lashed out through their link. His felt his body twitch and spasm as his mind was overwhelmed under a wave of purest rage. The world narrowed to one thing:

Yami was in danger.

He kicked out, connecting with Marik's ribs, pulling his hands from Marik's grasp as the demon hissed in surprise and a bit of pain. Yugi snarled, a feral sound, as he felt his fangs and claw lengthening, his wings emerging as he prepared to attack. The look of shock on the demon's face did nothing to stop him as he struck at the one who had threatened his mate.

He bit down on Marik's neck, bitter blood filling his mouth as he pumped venom into the injury. He felt the hunter return the attacks, but shrugged them off – they didn't matter. Vicious satisfaction filled him as he clawed at Marik's stomach, flaying the skin from the muscle. Again and again he bit and clawed at the screaming demon.

A steel-hard hand grabbed him, pulling him from his prey; he spun, quick as a mongoose, and buried his fangs in his new enemy's shoulder. Part of him registered that this was Malik; his attacks became more vicious as he tried to tear out the heart of Yami's attacker. The other demon threw him off and he rolled to his feet, ready to kill. His battle cry turned to frustration as Malik grabbed his twin and vanished through a portal.

The insane rage in his mind drained away, leaving him panting for breath, sickened and shocked. A glow around his body that he hadn't noticed to this point vanished, winking out as though it had never existed, taking the unnatural power with it. He shook the worst of the blood from his hands in disgust before looking up to find his mate.

Yami knelt by a dumpster, a stunned look on his face. He shivered and blinked. :Yugi: Even his mental voice sounded weak.

:I'm here.: Yugi took Yami in his arms, ignoring the blood on the walls and the fact that the shadows were moving, sponging it off with a motion eerily reminiscent of licking. He could feel his mate crying and cradled him closer. :Shh, love, it's okay…they're gone.:

:Yugi…I…I…: Yami clung to him. :I…the darkness…I was so scared…it…oh God…:

Yugi pulled away enough to look at Yami. "Love, you're babbling. Take a deep breath and calm down."

Yami nodded, choking on the air he was trying to get into his lungs. Yugi stroked his back until his mate could breath easily again. "Come on – let's go just in case there's anyone else around."

Yugi picked up Yami, cradling him in his arms, and stepped out of the alley, taking to the air in order to get Yami home as quickly as possible.

Yami curled in his arms, face buried in Yugi's chest, making little whimpering sounds. A touch on his mind told him that his mate was going into shock – probably from the attack. Yugi cursed the hunter-demons to the ninth circle and flew faster.

He reached their balcony in record time and managed to get Yami to stand long enough for him to open the door. Then he took them both to the bathroom and stripped them both of their blood-streaked, ruined clothes. Yami just stood as Yugi washed them off in the shower, while running the tub with hot water. He added some lavender bath beads before slipping inside, Yami following mutely.

Yami curled in his mate's arms, clinging to Yugi as though he were the last bastion of stability in the universe. Yugi cradled him gently, leaning back in the warm water. He wanted to shake too – he could still see the places where Malik and Marik had clawed him – he should have been paralyzed, but for some reason he'd shrugged off the attacks like they were nothing. That didn't make sense!

Unless that was what he had gotten from the mating ritual – but was that even possible? He made a mental note to talk to Ryou the next morning and turned all his attention to Yami, who had finally started to really relax.

"Yami?" he whispered. "Are you alright?"

"No." The word was thin and quiet, but it was a response and not inane babbling.

"What happened?"

"I – I saw one of the demons. He had a golden sceptre and pointed it at me – and something happened. The puzzle you gave me – it started to glow, and there was this weird sensation, like, like…I don't know how to describe it. But it happened, and all of a sudden all the shadows started moving – they ate those people! They… they… and I could hear the screams in my head, and I didn't stop it – I could have, but I didn't…" He broke off, crying into Yugi's shoulder. :I killed them all: Yami screamed inwardly, on a load of guilt and black despair. :What kind of monster am I:

Yugi stroked his hair. :If you can feel pain and guilt over their deaths, you're no monster, my sweet darkness.:

Yami pushed him away. "Don't call me that!" he screamed, hands tangling in his own hair. "It's evil! It…it kills! I don't want to be like that!"

Yugi gathered his struggling mate in his arms, whispering soothing nothings to him. "Yami, please…listen to me…"

"NO!" Yami climbed out of the tub, running out of the bathroom, still dripping wet. Yugi rose as well, wrapping a towel around his hips as he followed Yami out.

The trail of water led to the bedroom, where Yami had collapsed in a ball beside the bed, weeping brokenheartedly.

:Yami…: Yugi murmured, letting his own sorrow and apology flow over their link. :Yami, please – you'll make yourself sick..:

:I don't care: the teenager curled up tighter. :It's not right! Why did I have to kill them? I didn't want to, it just happened.:

Yugi took a comforter from the bed and laid it over Yami. :Love, you didn't mean to – that happens sometimes, and it wasn't out of malicious intent. I know you aren't a murderer. It wasn't even you, not really – your power rose to protect you. It will do that until it's trained.:

:Then I don't want it:

Yugi's eyes narrowed in frustration. :You don't have a choice.: His tone was harsher than he intended. :Your power protected both of us tonight – would you rather have allowed yourself to be killed and leave me to mourn you: It was a low blow, but it might shock him out of this mood.

:Don't even start that.: Yami snarled, turning suddenly on Yugi, his eyes red with rage and weeping. :I won't let you guilt me into accepting this! This magic turned me into a killer:

Yugi blinked at him, not saying anything, and Yami just…crumpled. :I'm sorry.: he whispered. :Now you must hate me.:

Yugi gathered him in his arms again, almost crying himself at the weight of grief and self-hatred in Yami's mind. :You are my beloved, my mate, my only love. How could I ever hate you:

:But…:

:But nothing. You are mine and I am yours, forever and ever. No matter what.: Yugi caressed Yami's hair and cheeks with his lips, laying delicate butterfly kisses along his jaw. Yami gradually quieted, until they were both resting on the floor, curled up in each other's arms.

:Actually, I'm rather proud of you.: Yugi murmured into the silence.

:Why: Even Yami's mind-voice sounded exhausted.

:You actually argued with me…when we first met you flinched if I raised my voice. I'm very proud of you.:

:Mmm.: Yami's eyes were glazed and dull. :Sleepy.:

:Then sleep, love.: Yugi managed to get them both tucked under the soft blankets as they drifted into uneasy dreams.

----

Yugi woke, sandy-eyed and still exhausted, to his mate's tired whimpers. Yami's eyes were shifting back and forth under fluttering lids; he tossed a little, seeming to deny something. Yugi reached out through their link, trying to soothe Yami's distress, and caught a bit of the dream.

_The darkness crooned to him, lapping at his body like water, wanting something he couldn't - wouldn't - give it. _

"_Go away…" he thrust his hands at the darkness, trying to push it away, but it washed over his skin like cool silk instead. It sang wordlessly, moving all around him, tasting his skin and hair. It wanted him to accept it. _

"_No." He shook his head in denial, trying to will it away from him. "Go away…just leave me alone…"_

Yugi pulled himself from the link, trying to re-orient himself in the real world. He shook his lover gently. "Yami, wake up."

Crimson-violet eyes jerked wide, flickering around the room before coming to land on him. Yami's hands tightened on his mate's arms. "Yugi…?"

"Shh…it was just a dream."

Yami cuddled tighter against him and started to sob, a quiet, helpless sound; Yugi ran his fingers through sweat-matted hair, letting Yami know through touch that he was there. The teen's muscles were locked tighter than a Gordian knot; even Yugi's acupressure techniques wouldn't help with that. He reached into his nightstand and pulled out a vial of scented oil he kept in there for entirely different purposes; but it would do for what he wanted. Managing to gently pry his mate off him, he warmed some of the oil in his hands and began massaging Yami's arms and chest. The teen looked at him curiously. "Yugi?"

"Shh…just relax." The demon continued his ministrations, the warmed oil giving off a spicy scent as he rubbed it into the skin. He traced each muscle with loving care – Yami's eyes drifted half-closed, a hiss escaping when Yugi would hit a bad knot and work it out. By the time Yugi reached his legs and feet, Yami was nearly asleep.

"Roll over, love – I want to do your back." Yugi murmured into Yami's ear; the teen gave a little wordless complaint but complied, rolling onto his stomach. Starting from the shoulders and working down, Yugi continued his task, taking special care with the red and inflamed skin on his upper back where the wings were coming in. Yami made little sleepy murring sounds, clearly enjoying the treatment.

By the time he reached the end of those slender legs, Yami was deeply asleep. Yugi wiped his hands on his thighs and curled up beside his love. He stroked Yami's hair and just watched him sleep.

----

Morning came all too soon for the both of them. Yugi woke without realizing he had fallen asleep; the sun pouring into the room made him glad for the thick curtains of the canopy bed, which dimmed the glare to manageable proportions. Yugi tried to roll out of bed, only to find Yami's arms wrapped around him and those exotic eyes looking at him imploringly. "I'm sorry about last night." Yami murmured, leaning over to kiss him. "I shouldn't have yelled."

"It's okay." Yugi murmured against his lips, kissing him back and stroking his bare shoulder. "Are you feeling any better?"

Yami shivered. "I don't know – yes and no, I guess. I still – I still don't know what exactly happened; all I know is that I don't want it to happen again."

Yugi blinked and stroked Yami's hair, wild with sleep. "I hate to tell you this, love, but it's not a good thing to be denying yourself or your powers."

Yami jerked out of his touch. "Are you saying…that _murder_ is part of me?"

Yugi shook his head. "Yami, that's not…"

"You want me to accept this, don't you." The teen threw himself from the bed, stalking towards the bathroom without waiting for an answer.

:Yes…I want you to accept this, because if you don't it's going to kill you.: Yugi snapped through the link. Yami froze, then turned back towards Yugi.

:Maybe it would be better if it did.: he murmured.

Yugi blinked, horror freezing his soul. "You can't – Yami, I don't want you to die…"

"That's just a lie to get me to accept this…evil!"

"Magic isn't evil – damn it to the ninth circle, Yami, I'm telling you the truth!" He had to keep hold of his temper, but it was so hard when Yami was being this stubborn.

Yami threw his hands over his head and down to his sides, repeatedly, as though he wanted to shove his fists through a wall. "I DON'T CARE! I don't care about these stupid powers, I don't care about these stupid demons and I don't care what you want me to do!"

"Yami…" Yugi rose, reaching out for him automatically, trying to send his love through the bond.

"No! Stay away from me – you're just trying to manipulate me into accepting this lie…don't touch me! I don't want you anywhere around me, Yugi! Just go away!"

Yugi's frozen soul shattered. He didn't even know he was crying; he just heard the pain and the hate in those words. "Yami…" he whispered. "Yami, please…" But his mate didn't hear him – Yami turned away instead, stalking from the room, rage almost tangible around him.

Yugi didn't know what to do. He couldn't even feel the love between them now – all he felt was hate and pain and grief. He dressed woodenly, shaking from head to foot when he heard the door to the apartment door slamming. Hoping he had guessed wrong, Yugi walked into the living room and through the kitchen, finding them empty. Yami really had left.

He could barely see the numbers on the phone as he dialled.

"Moshi moshi?" Ryou's voice sounded on the other end.

"…" Somehow he couldn't get his voice to work.

"Hello?" Irritation and concern now. "Is anyone there?"

"Ryou…" he finally managed, choking the word around the lump in his throat. He couldn't breathe.

"Yugi?" Ryou asked. "What's wrong…did something happen to Yami?"

That was all it took – Yugi broke down, gut wrenching sobs boiling from his body, shaking it with their intensity. He couldn't even wail. He couldn't speak. He dropped the phone and buried his face in his hands.

Ryou stared at the phone in shock, hearing sobs from the other side and the 'thunk' of the receiver as it hit the wall. He looked up at Bakura, who was watching TV, flipping the channels disinterestedly. "Bakura – go over to Yugi's place, ASAP. Something's wrong, and I think it has to do with Yami."

The gaki looked up, then nodded wordlessly and strode to the window. "You want I should bring them back here?"

"Depends…I'll try and keep Yugi on the line, you get over there and find out what's going on."

Bakura nodded. "Got it." And leapt from the window, black wings booming as he caught an updraft. Ryou turned back to the phone – at least he could still hear Yugi's sobs.

"Yugi? Pick up the phone, please? Can you hear me?"

A whoosh of wind and the flap of wings announced a demon visitor – Ryou looked up to see Otogi just folding his wings, black hair still ruffled from his flight. "Hey, Ryou – what's up?"

"I don't know." Ryou answered honestly, and the tone of worry in his voice made Otogi pause.

"What's wrong?"

"Something's wrong with Yugi and Yami –I sent Bakura over to check it out…" He stopped speaking as Yugi's voice came over the phone.

"Ryou, could you please find Yami? He…he ran away and I…I don't know where. I don't care…if he hates...me…" Yugi's voice trailed away, leaving Ryou staring at the handset in shock.

"Otogi…"

"I heard – I'm on it." The incubus ran for the window, probably headed for Yugi's apartment as well – it would be the logical place to start an aerial sweep.

"Ryou? Are you still there?" Bakura's voice came over the handset.

"Yes – I'm here. What's happening over there?" Ryou worried at the phone cord with his free hand.

"Yugi's a mess – I'm bringing him over. He's convinced that Yami hates him." Bakura hung up before Ryou could reply – the storm demon replaced the handset on his end with exaggerated care. Something drastic must have happened to make the close couple fight that badly – and it was very unusual for Yugi to lose control.

Tense minutes later Bakura returned to the hotel room, Yugi cradled in his arms. The incubus seemed to have shrunk, despair curling him into a tiny, wing-shrouded ball. Bakura handed him over without a pause or word – the gaki wasn't good at the comfort thing. Ryou took over, murmuring useless nothings and rubbing gently at his lower back and wing-joints in an attempt to soothe Yugi enough to tell them what had happened.

"Bakura – I got out of Yugi earlier that Yami ran away – can you please help Otogi look for him? I don't like the idea of him running around with no protection if Kyoshori Mutou's goon or Malik and Marik are around."

Bakura nodded, running a gentle hand over Ryou's cheek before leaving again as Ryou turned all his attention to the demon in his arms.

Finally Yugi uncurled enough to look at Ryou – and promptly grabbed the storm-demon in a tight clinging hug. "He…he left…he hates me now…I can feel it…he's so angry…" Yugi rambled into Ryou's chest.

With a sigh, Ryou cuddled Yugi closer to him. He had known Yugi for most of the incubus' 600 years, and he knew that just the physical contact would help him to settle down. "I'm sure he didn't mean that." Ryou murmured. "He's a human teenager – they often say things they don't mean, even to the people they love."

"What?" Yugi blinked watery amethyst eyes. "But that doesn't make sense."

Ryou actually snickered a little at that. "For all your time with humans, you really don't understand their relationships, do you?"

Yugi shrugged. "I…" he sniffled, wiping at a tear-stained cheek with one hand. "I've never been with anyone for longer than a few days. And it's never been more than sex and a vague sense of affection."

Nodding, Ryou managed to reach a tissue and hand the thin paper to Yugi. "I'm certain you just have to give him some time to cool down. Now what exactly caused this whole mess?"

Otogi flew over the city in a search pattern centred on Yugi and Yami's apartment. Finding one mortal teenager would be difficult with all the people in Kyoto, but he knew it had to be done – the last thing anyone needed was Yami to be captured by his father. Suddenly a white flash caught his attention – Bakura was back at the apartment. He flew down, to see that the gaki was sniffing the air.

"Do you have an idea of how to find him?" Otogi asked. Bakura nodded.

"Yeah – but you'll have to stay quiet – the kid was in a lot of pain when he bolted, and I can 'smell' that… I should be able to track it, as long as he doesn't run past any other place with a great deal of emotional pain in the air." With that, the gaki slipped out the door and down the stairs to the lobby; Otogi followed.

They moved through the city, dodging people and cars until they reached a café, where they could see a familiar mess of hair. Bakura stalked into the premises, obviously intending to haul Yami out of there by force. They both expected to find an angry young man who would have to be brought back kicking and screaming.

They didn't expect to see a shattered young man sitting on a couch, staring at nothing, slow tears running down his face. Otogi touched Bakura on the shoulder, silently telling the gaki to let him handle it as he stepped up to Yami.

"Yami..?" he murmured. "We're here to take you home…"

"I can't." Yami murmured in a broken voice. "I…after what I said, he'll hate me. He'll hate me… I know he will…I can feel his pain… I'm no better than Father." Otogi put a gentle hand on his shoulders; Yami flinched away. "Don't…don't touch me…" he breathed, his lungs working to take in air. "I'm dirty, unclean… unworthy – Yugi gave me everything and… and…and I…"

Otogi watched in horror as the boy started to hyperventilate before his very eyes. "Yami… come on, kiddo. It'll be all right…just calm down…" but when he tried to touch him, Yami flipped.

"DON'T!" he screamed, thrashing wildly in an attempt to get away. "Don't..!" Otogi pulled his hands back as though burned, staring instead directly into Yami's eyes. Emerald burned into red-crimson; Otogi's magic reached out, soothing the boy almost instantly into an hypnotic state – the stronger version of a compulsion spell. Thankfully the boy hadn't gained immunity to it.

"Calm down." Otogi ordered. For a moment it looked as if Yami was fighting the spell…but then his eyes went totally glass as his mind retreated from the circumstances and his body went limp. He heard Bakura sigh in relief and finally felt the tingle of demon magic – Bakura must have set up an illusion so that no one would notice them.

"You got him?" the gaki asked.

"Get up." Otogi ordered. Yami stood; even in trance his face held a lost expression. "Yes, I have him…we should go quickly. I don't want to keep him under long, or we might not get him back."

Bakura nodded – together they led the boy from the shop, heading back to the apartment.

"I can take it from here." Otogi noted quietly. "You might want to tell Ryou and Yugi that we found him…I'll take him back to their apartment and see if I can calm him down."

"You'd better not use the wrong method of 'calming'. Bakura snorted. "Yugi would kill you."

The incubus snorted. "I'm not stupid, Bakura. I know how dangerous it is to get between a demon and his mate."

"Good." The gaki grunted, fading from human sight as he extended his wings and leapt into the air. Otogi carefully gathered Yami into his arms before doing the same.

It didn't take long to get back to the apartment. Otogi brought Yami into the bedroom and locked the door - so the boy wouldn't run for it – before releasing his hold on Yami's mind.

The teen blinked as sense returned to his expression. He looked around and quite suddenly started to shake, curling up in a ball as he collapsed on the bed. Otogi climbed on the bed, pulling Yami's head into his lap. "He doesn't hate you, you know."

"Yes he does." Yami whispered brokenly. "Why did you bring me here? I should just go back to Father's and let him punish me…"

"No." Otogi stroked Yami's hair. "It would break Yugi's heart if you did that. He loves you very much. And if you just opened yourself to him again, you would know that…"

----

"But I can't." Yugi murmured. "I can't – he won't open himself to me. Ryou…I just don't know what to do."

Ryou resisted the urge to pull his white hair out by the roots. Yugi could be so stubborn sometimes. "You can talk to him…you just have to force the matter a little. There is nothing wrong with that – and you might find that he's over his snit."

"Snit?" Yugi raised an eyebrow. "He tells me he hates me and never wants to see me again, and you call that a snit?"

Ryou just nodded. "Yes. Don't worry, Yugi – he'll get over it."

"He's right, Yugi." Bakura rumbled from the other side of the couch, startling them. "You and Yami need to talk."

"You found Yami..?" Yugi sat straight up in Ryou's lap, hope shining in his eyes as he unconsciously clenched Ryou's arm, making the other demon hiss in discomfort. "Where is he? Is he all right? Did anyone find him?"

"He's fine physically, but not so good emotionally. He's with Otogi at your apartment." The gaki growled, gently running a hand through Ryou's hair. "You need to talk, the pair of you."

"He's home?" Yugi scrambled out of Ryou's embrace, heading for the window. "I need to see him!" He leapt, wings spreading as he headed back to the apartment. :YAMI: he 'screamed' through the link. He had to know if his mate really still hated him.

----

Yami jerked in Otogi's arms; the mental 'scream' broke through his unconscious block easily. "Yugi?" he whispered, not realizing he was speaking aloud as well as through their link.

:Yami: Yugi's mind-voice was laden with so many emotions he couldn't tell them apart. :Are you okay:

"Why do you care?" Yami whispered bitterly. "I hurt you – just punish me and get it over with."

:Don't be silly.: He could swear that if he were in front of Yugi, the other would be crying. :What you said hurt – but I love you and I don't have the right to punish you.:

There was a pause, as Yugi's presence suddenly grew almost – hesitant. :Did you mean it when you said you didn't want to see me again…that you hated me:

"I…" Yami blinked, then closed his eyes and sighed, 'reaching' for Yugi's mind and soul. :I don't hate you – I'm sorry I said that – I was…I am just so scared…:

Warmth and light – Yugi's soul wrapping around his as he sighed. :I understand – I shouldn't have pushed you so hard, my sweet one. Please…forgive me:

:If you forgive me…: Yami murmured.

:Always.:

Their link, stronger than ever now, hummed as they re-pledged their love and forgiveness in pure emotion; Yami could feel Yugi coming closer and closer. :Where are you:

:Less than five minutes away…:

Yami scrambled from the bed, ignoring Otogi's startled yelp, and ran for the living room, pausing only to unlock the door to the bedroom as he did, feet taking him to the balcony where he could see his love flying towards him, black wings shining in the sunlight. A breeze had picked up; he could almost imagine the wind carrying his Yugi to him faster.

:I love you.: he sent.

:And I love you…: Yugi replied as their eyes met over the intervening distance.

Then suddenly gold flashed, two forms barrelling into Yugi from on high, throwing him into a sudden yawning portal…and he was gone.


	14. A Single Piece

Chapter 14 - A Single Piece

Bakura and Ryou were close enough to see what happened, but not close enough to do anything. One moment they saw Yugi flying through the sky; the next Malik and Marik were diving at top speed, twin gold blurs through the blue sky, hitting Yugi before he could react and shoving him through a portal into nothingness.

The screams from Yami reached them long before they landed on the balcony. Otogi had wrapped his arms around Yami and dragged him inside; Ryou joined them while Bakura detoured to the point where the portal had been.

"Seventh level of Hell." Bakura growled, his magic sensing the location of the other side. "Arrogant bastards…they didn't even try and disguise the traces. They have Yugi and are taking him right to Asmodeous."

Inside the apartment, Otogi had pinned a hysterically thrashing Yami to the couch. Ryou grabbed Yami's face, trying to get his attention. The teen's eyes were glazed and dilated, staring at nothing. He didn't respond to anything that Ryou said or did; they could only hold on to Yami and make sure he didn't hurt himself as he screamed and screamed and screamed.

Bakura entered the room, thrashing his wings angrily. "Can't you get him to shut up?"

Ryou shook his head. "No…I don't think this is from losing Yugi, Bakura. Shock I could understand, but this… Can you do something please?"

Bakura grimaced in disgust, but nodded, placing a finger on Yami's forehead. He screamed, jerking himself loose and falling back, blue eyes wide, face as white as his hair. Yami gasped, his eyes rolling up into the back of his skull as he passed out.

Bakura stared at Yami for a long moment, an unreadable look on his face before he turned and stumbled to the bathroom where they heard him vomiting.

Ryou sent Otogi a pleading look; the incubus nodded silently. Now that Yami was no longer thrashing, he could handle it himself. Ryou ran for the bathroom, kneeling beside Bakura, who was still dry heaving. "Love, are you okay? What happened?"

"I tried to consume some of his pain, knock the boy out – and I accidentally caught a piece of their link." Bakura shuddered again – Ryou rubbed his shoulders soothingly, reaching into the bathtub for a cloth. He ran it over Bakura's sweat-soaked clammy face. The gaki gave him a watery smile as he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "They have Yugi in a pain-circle, Ryou – and Yami could still feel everything. I'm guessing that they need to concentrate to block each other off – and no one can concentrate with that kind of agony. It'll be a wonder if he doesn't go mad from that alone."

Ryou blanched a colour that nearly matched his mate. "A pain-circle – Hells, that's_ sadistic_."

Bakura nodded. "I think the shock must have knocked him cold, or Yugi passed out." He sighed, leaning against Ryou in a rare open show of affection. They both knew what their chances of rescuing Yugi were – and they both knew that they would attempt it anyway.

They walked out a few minutes later to see that Otogi now sat beside Yami, stroking his hair and face comfortingly. Yami's features were still twisted in soul-deep agony, and he muttered even in his sleep.

"He's talking to Yugi." Otogi murmured. "I can't make out everything, but he keeps muttering 'Yugi' and 'tenshi'."

Ryou and Bakura exchanged a look; then Bakura explained what was happening quickly while Ryou went into the kitchen to get them all something to drink. He'd spent a few quiet centuries in England and to this day his knee-jerk response to trauma and stress involved tea. He boiled the kettle and brought out four mugs, listening to the murmured voices in the living room. He had no idea what they were going to do now – the three of them had, if one could forgive the bad pun, a snowball's chance in Hell of rescuing Yugi on their own. And taking a mortal into Hell would be murder.

He put the tea on a tray and carried it out to the living room, where he saw greenish light just dying around Otogi's hands. He cocked his head in silent question as he laid the tray on the table.

"It's a spell to mute the link between him and Yugi." Otogi ran long fingers through Yami's thick hair. "He started crying out again, calling Yugi's name."

Ryou shook his head and handed everyone a cup of green tea.

"This is insanity. He'll go mad if we don't get Yugi back from Asmodeous." Bakura snarled in frustration. "And we can't leave Yugi in the hands of the Demon Prince. He'll be tortured, then killed."

"Tell us something we don't know." Otogi snapped. Ryou put up his hands to forestall the argument before it even began.

"We need time to plan." He said quietly. "And we need to gather information – even if we know where the portal went, I would not put it past Malik and Marik to set a trap for anyone who might want to rescue Yugi. And if you recall, they are working with Kyoshori Mutou, which means that they will be after Yami as well."

Bakura nodded, baring his fangs in a vicious grin. "So we go to Kyoshori and find out what he knows."

Seto Kaiba was not the sort to hide for long.

He'd left Mokuba back in the hidden lab, not wanting to expose his little brother to danger, and knowing that whatever help Seto needed, Mokuba could supply using the backup computer access Seto had rigged into the lab long ago.

"Mokuba?" he murmured into his comlink – his own invention, a dedicated microtransmitter built into his coat lapel; Mokuba possessed the mate. And unlike most transmitters of this size, there was no limit to the range.

"Seto? You're coming in loud and clear. All signs are clear from your location to the 17th floor. Mutou hasn't broken the computer protections, so all your overrides should still work."

"Good." Seto strode along the hallways of his building; the cameras in his office showed that Mutou had gone through all the paperwork; thankfully, nothing classified had been on his desk. And apparently his demon backup had left – Seto know he could take the other man on by himself easily; his blood-bond with Mokuba had left him with enhanced reflexes as well as a partial immunity to fire.

However, much to his shock, when he got the office it was empty. "Mokuba? Where is Kyoshori Mutou?"

"I don't know what happened, Seto – one minute he was there, the next he was gone. I think that he must have looped the security tape for a while…"

Nodding, Seto strode into the office and sat at his desk, entering the code to free access to the networks. He studied the keystroke record and saw that Kyoshori had attempted to access the system a few times, but had been foiled – and then he had attempted to dump a virus on the system, but he was a businessman, not a computer expert – the KaibaCorp mainframe had isolated the virus with ridiculous ease. Seto frowned – none of this was a serious attempt. What game was he playing?

Yami. He really was only after Yami…but why? Why go through all this for the son he plainly hated…

Control? No… it didn't seem right somehow. Possession? Close, but not enough. Seto shook his head. Obviously, Kyoshori had found what he had wanted – and he had to get word to Yugi and Yami.

"Mokuba, get the chopper ready."

Yugi awoke slowly, waves of pain flowing through his abused nerves in an echo of the agony he had landed in. He blinked, amethyst eyes still glazed with pain as he looked around.

He lay in a cell, the bars charged and crackling with magic; enchanted stone colder than any mortal ice formed the other five surfaces around him. He hissed as it stuck to his skin, pulling away bits whenever he moved. He tried to get his mind to work, to remember how he had gotten there.

A flash of gold flickered in his mind. Malik and Marik – the hunter demons had hit him with nearly the amount of power to break his back, sending him hurtling through a portal into a magical circle.

After that, agony was all he remembered. Agony that shattered the mind and froze the body – he vaguely recalled Yami's voice in his mind, and trying to block off their link, but he couldn't concentrate. The pain filled his world.

Then blessed unconsciousness – he must have passed out. Then - this place. He reached out for Yami automatically – green light and darkness blocked the way, giving him only a glimpse of his mate's mind. Good – the green had the taste of Otogi, which meant Yami wasn't alone, and the darkness meant his mate was unconscious. With a shiver of regret, he closed off his end of the link as much as possible, just leaving him with a feeling that his mate was still alive. He knew what had to be coming, and he wouldn't put Yami through that.

"Well; you're awake." Marik's voice floated through the bars, heralding the hunter demon and his twin. "Good timing – we were sent to bring you to your trial."

"What trial?" he asked, trying to marshal his strength to move.

"The Prince is trying you for the crime of seducing and impregnating his consort." Marik's smile was vicious; Malik's satisfied. They both knew what the outcome would be.

So did Yugi.

-----

A knock thundered through the door. Bakura went to answer it – as he himself had pointed out once before, the bad guys probably wouldn't knock.

He opened the door to reveal Seto Kaiba and his little brother Mokuba. They certainly didn't look like people on the run, which probably meant Kaiba had managed to get back control of his company.

Mokuba looked up. "I thought this was the apartment belonging to Yugi Takahashi?" the little demon looked confused as he stared at the white-haired gaki.

Kaiba had met Bakura before though. "Where are Yugi and Yami?" he demanded. Bakura jerked his thumb in a backward motion – a silent signal to enter – and stepped out of the way, closing the door behind them.

Kaiba nodded his head to Ryou before gazing down at Yami, still lying on the couch. "What happened?"

"Yugi was taken." Bakura stated bluntly. "Malik and Marik ambushed him – he's somewhere in Hell right now."

"Shh." Otogi hissed, gesturing towards Yami, who had finally fallen into a deeper sleep. The incubus slipped the teenager's head off his lap and stood. "We should take this conversation elsewhere – that way we won't wake Yami. He's going to need all the strength he can gather when we take him into Hell." Otogi turned the couch so that he could see Yami from the balcony before leading them outside.

In deference to Yami, Ryou waited until they were all on the balcony before verbally taking Otogi's head off.

"Are you insane? We can't take a mortal – even one blood-bonded to another demon – into Hell! He'll never survive!"

"We don't have a choice." Bakura said unexpectedly. "Even though we know that Yugi's in the seventh circle, it's still far too large for us to search haphazardly – the only one who has a chance of finding Yugi in a reasonable amount of time is Yami." The gaki took his mate in a gentle embrace. "I don't like the idea, but there is no other logical alternative."

"Fine." Ryou growled. "But I don't like this."

"Nor do I." Kaiba moved until he was standing by the rail of the balcony. "I think that right now, invading Hell would be a bad decision. Don't you think they will be expecting something like that? It's a bad idea – and I don't think Yugi will thank you for getting yourselves and his mate killed thanks to some stupid heroic gesture."

Bakura stalked over to the mortal and turned him to face the rest with a harsh shove. "Kaiba, we're not going to invade Hell with an army and try and fight our way through. We're not even going to be going in a way that can be detected. I was the greatest thief the mortals had ever seen – you think I can't break into Hell?"

Kaiba slapped the hand away, crossing his arms and looking down his nose at Bakura. "I know that he'll be guarded – can the four of you take on whatever is set to prevent his rescue? You will all be killed."

Mokuba nodded, glaring at the thief. "Oniisama is right. I've seen the guards Prince Azmodeous has access too – even a pair of fire demons fell to them!"

"It doesn't matter." Bakura snapped. "We have no choice."

"We can look for aid." Ryou said gently, entwining his fingers with Bakura's to soothe the gaki. "There must be others who can help."

------

Yami wept in the endless darkness of his dreams, alone. His connection with Yugi was faint; his mate had been in horrible pain when it had abruptly cut off – only that faint connection told him that Yugi still lived. He closed his eyes; Yugi was in Hell, and he was too pathetic to do anything but sit here and cry. Damnit, there had to be something he could do!

But he couldn't even master himself enough to summon his own magic, never mind do anything that would save his mate.

Yami wasn't stupid. Unless they rescued him, the Demon Prince would kill Yugi. He couldn't – wouldn't allow that to happen; even if he had to walk into Hell with only his determination to save his love.

"Noble sentiments, Master, but they will get you killed." A voice came out of the darkness – Yami jerked as three figures emerged. One – a man in purple robes with a luminescent green staff – stepped to the fore. In his arms he carried a tiny furred creature. "Master – we felt your need and came. What would you have of us?"

Yami couldn't help but stare. "What…no, there is no time. Can you do anything to help rescue Yugi?"

The girl – a pretty blond in a blue and pink dress that barely covered her form – shook her head. "Not unless you call us to the real world, Prince."

The furred creature kuued and bounced out of the man's arms. Yami blinked at it as it hopped on tiny green legs to sit and his feet and rub his ankles, making a sound suspiciously close to a purr.

"How can I call you to the real world?" he asked, reaching down to pet the little furball.

"When you were a child, we took your powers from you to prevent your mind breaking under the strain of living under your father…but when you mated with your Beloved, we gave them back. You can do this, Master – and when you do you will have the ability to call an army out of the darkness." The girl took a step closer. "But something is stopping you, Master – a wall between you and the dark that only is breached when your life is in direct danger and the Puzzle can act. It is a key, Master – and you are both the door and the doorkeeper."

"Accept the darkness that is a part of you and you will breach the wall forever." The man stated with confidence.

"But how?" Yami whispered. "I don't know how…" He picked up the furball and squeezed it. He fell silent. They couldn't answer his question for him – he had to answer it himself. Looking down at his chest, he fingered the puzzle that hung there. It was a key…and he was the door and the doorkeeper. That didn't make any sense! He – how could he be a door…

_Darkness is potential._ Yugi's voice. He remembered the conversation they had had about the meaning of his name. If darkness was potential – why was he so afraid of it? Was he afraid of the dark?

No. He never had been – he had always embraced the shadows as a source of comfort, of solace. So why had he not been able to call the darkness?

Unless – it was because of what it might do to him. He remembered the sick feeling he'd gotten after Malik and Marik's thugs had attacked him in the alley. The horror he'd felt when he saw his lover dripping with black blood, the red human blood splashed on the walls before the shadows had moved and wiped it clean, leaving no trace of the poor victims of his rogue magic. He had killed them with his fear and his lack of control.

"He never told me that the darkness could destroy…" he whispered.

"Master…" the man said quietly. "Both darkness and light can destroy – together they have the ability to destroy something utterly and draw it anew from the ashes. Such is the way of the universe. Destruction is not in itself evil – evil lies in the way such power is used."

Yami's head shot up. If that was true – then to prevent it from using him in such a way again, he would have to learn to control it. He caressed Eye in the centre of the puzzle thoughtfully. To do that, according to the girl, he would have to accept it.

But could he do that? Could he accept that potential for destruction that came with the potential for creation? Surely he didn't have to accept that he was capable of murder in order to save his lover.

Yami turned the pieces of this puzzle over in his mind, looking at it in another way – what would he be willing to do, to give up, to accept, in order to have Yugi again? Crimson-violet eyes narrowed as he caressed the tiny furball with one hand and the seams in the puzzle with the other, absently worrying his bottom lip with his teeth.

He had been willing to give up a part of his humanity to stay with Yugi, to share a part of his soul. And Yugi…Yugi had been willing to give up everything to have him, to take on anything to keep them together. Could he really do any less?

No.

In his heart of hearts the last doubts vanished under his determination.

Like the final piece of a puzzle, the missing part of his soul slid into place – and the Darkness rejoiced.

---

No one with the slightest sensitivity to magic could miss the surge of power from the living room. As one, the group in the porch turned to face the source.

Yami stood there, eyes narrowed in determination. He opened his mouth to speak and grabbed his head. In the centre of his forehead, an Eye of black light shimmered.

The Puzzle around Yami's neck flared to life, burning with a rainbow light so bright that Yami himself was a silhouette of shadow in the heart of the maelstrom. Black wings emerged from his back, stretching upwards before spreading fourteen feet on either side; a cry of mingled pain and exultation ripped from his throat - the sound of a soul breaking free of its chains.

Shadows rose around his form, mingling with the light, encasing him in a strange chrysalis. Black and blue and purple; swirling mist and jagged lightening twisted around him in a silent storm.

"Yami!" Ryou lunged forward, but Bakura held him tightly in his arms.

"No Ryou – you don't know what that stuff will do to you…"

"We don't know what it's doing to Yami either!" Ryou wrenched at Bakura's grip, but couldn't break it. "He could be dying…it could be an attack…it could be anything!"

Seto shook his head, watching closely with Mokuba clinging to one arm. "I don't think so – if they had a remote attack, they would have used it by now – and Kyoshori wants Yami alive."

"It isn't demonic magic." Otogi took a step forward. "I don't know what it is."

The darkness exploded outwards, still in that eerie silence, revealing Yami, arms crossed over his chest, wings spread to their fullest extent, head thrown back, floating in midair. A moment later he landed on the floor with gentle 'thump' as the last of the blazing light died around the Puzzle.

"Impossible", Bakura breathed. "His wings…"

White feathers - marked with bars of golden brown and black deep enough to flash blue highlights, long and narrow for speed and manoeuvrability –whispered through the air as his wings folded gracefully to his back. He shivered, arms dropping to his side as he took a deep, shuddering breath, wings shifting as he looked down to face them. On his head glimmered a crown of gold, circling black hair was wild now as Yugi's, bangs floating free; his torso and forearms were covered in blue enamelled armour fashioned into the likeness of Egyptian falcons. A simple white kilt of fine linen hugged his hips; matching blue enamelled armour that protected his shins. His eyes slid open; shadowed, restless red-violet still turned inward, soft and unfocussed. "Yugi…" he breathed.

"I've never seen – could have never imagined…" Ryou shook his head. "Yami?"

His eyes snapped into focus. "Ryou…where is he?"

"In Hell…taken by the Prince." The storm demon answered. He swallowed, then asked "Yami, how…"

Yami shook his head. "No time. Yugi is in danger – and I have a score to settle with the Demon Prince."


	15. Fetters

Title: A Game of Masques

Chapter: 15?

Author: Silvershadowfire

Rating: This chapter – R.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YuGiOh, - the story is mine.

Warnings: Lots of blood and gore, as well as violence.

A/N: This is MOSTLY the same as before - the differences are in the last part of the chapter. I kind of wrote myself into a corner, but thanks to Lady Laran and her muse (huggles both) I managed to get out of that corner.

Thanks to my beta readers Maggiemay and Draconyx, and to Lady Laran, who was kind enough to lend me a muse to get working on this… I love you all. And thanks to my readers, who have hopefully been patient.

Chapter 15 - Fetters

Yugi stumbled along the hallway, wrists and ankles bound in chains, his wings tied uncomfortably closed. Not that he ever had a chance of escaping – not with Malik and Marik on constant guard to either side.

He was led to a 'holding chamber' while the Demon Lord took care of other business before his trial. The barred door slammed shut behind him, leaving Yugi with a lovely view of the throne room and far too much time to contemplate his fate.

Marik smiled at him. "We'll be back to see you to the trial, Ludus."

He sat on the floor, trying not to fear – he couldn't take the chance that it would leak through to Yami. But it was hard – about as hard as not thinking of a red elephant, especially knowing through whispered rumours of the Demon Lord's sadistic cruelty disguised as justice.

"Ludus?" A voice caught his attention. He blinked out of his contemplation, startled.

"Mother?" he murmured, drawing his gaze to the two people now standing by his prison. "Mother…Father!" He rose to his feet and stumbled to the bars, running his fingers through the grate to entwine them with his mother's.

Idra and Joseph smiled at their son, despite the sadness in their eyes. His mother was beautiful – a succubus with red hair to her waist and bright amethyst eyes. She leaned forward and kissed her son's cheek.

"Ludus…is what he said true? Did you seduce and impregnate that woman?" Joseph asked, concerned. He was an ice-demon, with white-blond hair and ice-blue eyes; his body was slender and delicate, like his son's.

"No…I seduced her, but I didn't father her child – I know better. For all the good it will do me…you and I know that he'll find me guilty of the crime anyway. I…I'm scared, Mother. I don't want to die…not now…" he fought the tears, and the pain. He couldn't let either one get to Yami.

"I…I've found a mate," he whispered. They had to know. "He's mortal…but I love him. When I…"

"We'll take care of him, and watch over him." Idra's voice caressed her son, trying to bring some measure of comfort. "What is his name?"

"Yami – Yami Mutou, from Domino, Japan…but he's at my apartment in Kyoto now. He came from an abusive home; please keep him safe."

"We will," Joseph murmured, stroking his wife and son's entwined fingers. "Come on Idra… the guards are coming back. We can't stay."

Reluctantly, Yugi pulled his fingers away, fighting back the tears. "You shouldn't see this," he murmured. "We all know what's going to happen – you don't have to be there to witness it."

"I was there when you were born, son, and I will be there until the end – and we will plead with the Demon Lord for clemency."

----- ----- -----

In the end, it was only Yami, Bakura and Ryou who entered the portal into Hell. Seto had his own interests, Mokuba was far too young, and Otogi stayed behind to keep an eye out for Kyoshori and his goons, in case they decided to make a move.

Bakura, with sublime skill and millennia of practice, opened a portal to Hell in such a way that it would be undetected by the Master of that level. It wouldn't give them too much of a head start, but Yami didn't seem to care. The gaki watched him go through the portal, determination in the cold, shadowed crimson-violet eyes.

"Be careful," Otogi murmured as Ryou passed through the portal. Bakura nodded and passed through, closing it behind himself.

The place where the trio found themselves truly deserved the name Hell. Black sand covered the ground, glinting like spilled blood in the red, source-less light. Above them, the sky burned a crimson red, black clouds billowing restlessly through it. The air was icy cold, cold enough to burn their lungs. In the distance, graceless mountains of black rock spiralled up, biting at the sky. Framed in by the mountains' feet lay the castle of the Demon Lord – Bakura had thought this the most likely place that Yugi would be held. After all, Azmodeous would want him held for 'trial' and sentencing.

"How far is it?" Yami asked quietly. No fear echoed in the transformed human's voice as he studied the terrain.

"Not far – maybe an hour as the crow flies," Ryou noted. "Well done, love."

Bakura snorted. "I didn't want to take a chance that he might sense us by getting any closer – is Yugi in the castle?" Closing his eyes, Yami passed a hand over the Puzzle – it gleamed darkly in response, the gold ruddy in the tinted light.

"Yes – he is there," came the reply. Opening his wings, the youth lofted into the air lightly, as practiced as if he'd been doing this all his life. Bakura and Ryou followed.

They flew silently over the black sand, the castle growing closer and closer. Yami back winged suddenly, pointing.

'There – guards," he murmured softly, folding his wings to drop to the sand behind an up thrust, jagged pillar.

"Not many," Bakura noted. "But they're the elite – I wouldn't want to take them on. Anyone have a plan?"

"I do." Yami's voice was cool. "Ryou – we need a distraction… can you call a storm?"

"Yes, of course." Ryou closed his eyes, concentrating on his powers. The storms he could call in the human realm were nowhere near the ferocity of what could be summoned here – and he strained his power to the utmost. Black clouds boiled out of the red-tinted sky, winds howling towards the palace and the palace guards with enough force to strip the skin off a human in moments. Ryou's eyes were glowing, his wings spreading into the wind to lift him high, white hair whipping around his face. He raised his hands, clenching them into fists; vermillion and azure lightening crashed, leaving smoking holes of fused glass in the black sand of the ground. The guards were no match for the ferocity of the storm… they stumbled their way inside the building, leaving the way clear for Bakura and Yami.

For the first time since his transformation, Yami showed emotion other than determination. "Kami…" he breathed, wide eyed. "I didn't know that Ryou was so… powerful."

"Yeah." Bakura's voice was gruff, but that wasn't enough to hide the pride in his voice. "Come on… he's probably going to blast the doors soon."

No sooner had the words left Bakura's lips then a mass of multi-coloured electricity slammed into the front doors with a sound beyond noise. Bakura closed his wings around himself in automatic defence – Yami raised a hand, his eyes glowing slightly as a rainbow-coloured barrier appeared, blocking the debris.

"Let's go." He took to wing, followed a bare breath later by Bakura.

Bakura and Yami entered the castle, staring at the moaning bodies around them. Most had been injured by the flying debris; some were still on their feet – six, no more. But it was six against two. Bakura set himself to fight.

"I don't have time for this," Yami stated with all the arrogance of a king. "Dark Magician, Dark Paladin; come forth to serve your master." He murmured for a moment in a language long dead. He raised his hand again – the black light Eye on his forehead flashed to life, and in its unearthly light a figure began to form… a man in purple robes and armour, holding a glowing green staff. Beside him stood another man in darkly glittering silver-chased armour.

The guards – on the verge of attacking the intruders – stopped as Dark Magician raised his staff in salute to Yami and turned to face them, body flaring brighter with power. Dark Paladin charged into their midst.

"Come, Bakura – my servants are more than a match for them." Yami's tone was cool – but Bakura detected a bit of nervousness behind it. Was it simply because Yugi was in danger, or was the teen starting to scare himself with this strange power?

Not that it mattered at this point. As long as Yami kept it together long enough for them to find Yugi and get out of there…

"Which way?" he asked. Yami shook his head.

"He's blocking me. I can tell he's deeper in the palace, but not where."

"Probably in one of the dungeons or the throne room. Come on." Bakura took the lead, slipping with no more noise than a shadow deeper into the depths of the castle.

---- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Yugi shivered as Marik and Malik took him from his cage, brushing aside his parents rudely. The Hunters took his arms, trying his wrists together with some kind of enchanted chains, binding his wings uncomfortably. Without a word he was dragged to the throne and forced to kneel.

"Ludus…" Azmodeous's voice was smooth and cold as ice. "Bring in the witness." Another figure came forth, dressed all in long midnight robes that covered every glimpse of skin.

"My Lord?" Yugi recognized the voice. He'd last heard it screaming his name in ecstasy as he pleasured her.

"Welcome, my lady. I have found the one who defiled you. Face him and tell me… is he the one who is the father of your child?" The figure turned to Yugi, features lost in the depths of the hood.

"He is. Ludus, who used his powers to seduce me and got me with child."

"That is a lie!" A voice called from behind them. Idra struggled in her husband's arms. "I taught Ludus myself… he knows better than to impregnate one of his partners! And he never uses his powers to take someone unwilling… all of Hell knows that!"

"Silence!" Azmodeous snapped. "I find him guilty as charged." Standing, he stepped from his throne towards his prisoner. "As his sentence, he will be made to serve me . . . as a drone."

Yugi stared up at the Demon Lord in horror. A drone… death would be a mercy. He heard his mother screaming and weeping behind him; he shook his head in denial. His will would be bound, unable to disobey anything that his Master wanted; but the worst part of it was that he would know everything that was happening… and be utterly unable to stop it. It was rumoured that those who had been drones for a long time eventually broke, going insane, trapped in their own minds, slowly loosing the will to live until the spirit that powered their flesh just faded away.

"No!" Idra screamed again. Yugi couldn't move. It seemed he couldn't even breathe as the Demon Lord's hand came down on his head.

Magic writhed and burned through his body; he screamed as it forged bonds around his mind, forcing it into one corner. His body drooped as the spell continued its work. He could feel his will draining away into nothing.

Then he felt the spell trying to surge along the link to Yami, and did the only think he could think of… he cut it off. Completely.

The pain – was beyond anything he'd felt before. His soul screamed for his now forever lost mate; he wept helplessly as the chains closed tighter. It didn't matter what happened to his body now. Yami was safe – and he was already dying. Like a candle deprived of the air it needed to live… he was dying without his Yami.

--- --- --- ---

He wasn't in the dungeons. Yami hissed in irritation leavened with a healthy dose of fear. They had to get to Yugi, and fast.

He sensed an enormous power wreathing around Yugi, and the Puzzle flickered, as though it too had sensed something wrong before the link between he and Yugi abruptly cut off. He gasped, shuddering, falling to his knees as mind and soul screamed in denial. Darkness threatened to overwhelm him, literally – it was as though a light had been snuffed, leaving him directionless and alone.

"Yami?" Cold hands caught his shoulders and he whimpered.

"It's Yugi." He took a deep breath – the Puzzle started to glow with a pale white light and the darkness retreated. "I… can't feel him anymore."

"They must have done something to block it off." Bakura glanced around. "Come on – let's get to the throne room. Chances are that he's there."

"Ra, don't let him be dead." Yami whispered the prayer softly, following Bakura towards the throne room. He could feel the shadows and his own anger tugging as his control, wanting nothing more than to lash out at the one who dared to touch his mate. "Hurry, Bakura."

"I'm going as fast as I fucking can."

As they had expected, the throne room was guarded – but not well, not here, so deep within the heart of the castle. Bakura dispatched one easily while Yami called the shadows, smothering the other into unconsciousness.

The pair entered the vast room silently, ignoring the wailing of a woman to one side, and the decorations that made the place look like a magpie den; flashy, gaudy, and vastly overdone. The floor was icy under his feet, but no where near as frigid as the ice in his soul when he saw the scene.

The Demon Lord Azmodeous sat on his throne, slouched casually to one side, drinking from a golden chalice. Yami's eyes darted from one side to the other, finally spotting his mate. Bakura swore.

Yugi was dressed in only a leather thong and harness, decorated in silver chains and studs, his wrists and ankles bound in steel manacles. Those glorious amethyst eyesstared aimlessly,dead in his bruised and battered face. His glorious wings hung in a shroud of shredded skin and bare bone, black blood still dripping to the floor and pooling around his feet.

"What have you done to him!" Yami screamed, running over to his mate, only to be caught in the grasp of the twin hunter demons Marik and Malik. "Let him go at once!"

The Demon Lord seemed unimpressed, however. He merely met Yami's furious and not quite sane gaze with his own mocking one, his fingers flicking towards Yugi in a come-hither motion which the other obeyed instantly.

"Kneel, slave." Azmodeous leaned forward and petted Yugi's hair. "Do you love me, slave?"

"Yes, master." Yugi's voice fawning, passionate; but his eyes remained the same, dead chips of dull amethyst that gave lie to the words.

"What have you done to him?" Yami's voice was a bare whisper, shaking with suppressed rage and hate.

"It's the Drone spell," Bakura murmured from behind him. "His will's been bound. He can't disobey the one who cast the spell."

"Indeed," Azmodeous acknowledged. "I though this fitting punishment for daring to cuckold me in my own palace."

"Let. Him. Go."

"Because you said so, little mortal?" With a smirk, Azmodeous patted his lap – Yugi crawled up there and snuggled against the Demon Lord. Yami twitched, his temper loosening another notch. "I do not think so. He is mine forever, you see. The only way to destroy the spell is to destroy him."


	16. Rebirth

A/N Well, the new system should make things interesting - I can actually remember to reply to everyone! So if you sign in and review, I'll make sure to answer everyone individually, okay?Also, you should go back and re-read chapter 15 - I made a few changes.

Thanks to Maggie for Beta-reading!

* * *

Chapter 16 - Rebirth

"Let me GO!" Yami heaved fruitlessly at the hands that held him fast; Marik smirked and Malik laughed darkly.

"Make us." The elder looked over at the Demon Lord. "My lord… shall we play with him for your amusement?"

"Please do." Azmodeous invited, leaning back and pulling Yugi into an embrace, claws digging into the flawless skin. "My little pet here can pleasure me while I watch."

Yami lunged for the Demon Lord, but was summarily thrown back as the two hunter demons shoved in unison. "Have to get past us first, little one." Marik mocked as he sidled towards Yami.

"Get the fuck off him." A black and white blur slammed into Marik. Bakura bit and clawed savagely at the hunter demon, teeth burying themselves to the gum as he clung to Marik, between his wings on his back. Marik growled, unable to reach more than Bakura's head, grabbing onto the white hair, the pair spinning in a macabre parody of a dance.

Malik moved to help his brother - Yami completely forgotten - when a bolt of rock-hard ice slammed into him. He fell, rolling back to his feet, eyes snapping around for the source of the attack. Joseph stood there, determination on his face, another icebolt forming between his hands.

Yami blinked in shock, now knowing who this demon was or why he would defy the Demon Lord to help him, when a touch on his shoulder made him spin.

A beautiful demoness, tearstains on her face, steadied him with a smile. "Come… Joseph will help hold them off. We must get Ludus from the Demon Lord." He nodded, turning to face Azmodeous with a snarl.

"Give him back."

"You want him?" The demon smirked. "Then you shall have him. Slave… kill him."

"NO!"

Yugi moved faster than sight, punching Yami in the face. Yami's head snapped around from the blow and he fell, more shocked than hurt as he rolled back to his feet, wings flaring for balance. It was obvious from the unshed tears in his mate's eyes that Yugi had no choice – and equally obvious he still had self-awareness. That was more then simply cruel – it was torture.

Yami had a horrible choice – kill his own mate, or allow himself to be beaten. He could feel the Shadows rising in automatic defence, but kept them back. He would not allow them to harm his beloved one.

Yugi attacked again; this time Yami saw it coming and managed to dodge, spinning around to keep the other in sight. With a howl of rage and raw agony, Yugi leapt on him again, teeth and claw at the fore. Yami fell, pinned, and the world became a whirl of blood and claws and teeth as Yugi ripped savagely at him. Ruined wings fluttered, spilling black demon blood over them both. Bitter liquid fell into his open mouth – he remembered the flavour from their mating ritual. Teeth bit into his arm; he cried out, and suddenly the mating bond snapped back into place with the suddenness of a dislocated limb. He gasped as horror and despair filled his soul from Yugi.

:I love you, Yami… kill me. Please.:

Somehow he managed to roll, pinning Yugi beneath him. :I can't: he protested. "I came her to rescue you.: Something dark and slimy tried to use their link as a portal, but the Shadows warded his mind.

:The only way to free me is to kill me. Please, beloved. I don't want to be a slave to _him_ for the rest of my life.:

:No… there has to be another way.:

:There isn't. Yami, I'm begging you, do it. Let your darkness destroy me.:

'_...together Darkness and Light can destroy a thing utterly and draw it anew from the ashes…_'

Dark Magician's words echoed in his mind. He – who was the darkness… and the light. Yugi was the light.

He knew what he had to do. Closing his eyes, he leaned forward and kissed Yugi.

And he called the Shadows.

---- ------ ------

Marik finally managed to throw the gaki off his back, hissing at the pain of his quickly healing wounds. "That does it… no more fucking around." He reached for the Rod.

But his claw closed on open air. "What the fuck?"

"Looking for this?" The white-haired demon smirked, holding the Rod as he climbed to his feet.

"You…" Marik growled and prepared to leap. "Give that back – you have no idea how to use it."

"Bets?" the other asked calmly, holding out the Rod. "My name is Bakura… but at one time I was called the King of Thieves." The Rod flared and Marik found himself slammed into the wall. "I know how to use the Millennium Items, fool." Fangs showed in his smile. "I was there when they were made, after all."

Marik struggled against the magical bonds of the Rod. "Let me go, Anubis take you!"

"I don't think so." Bakura stalked closer; just as the room suddenly grew darker. Both demons turned to look at the source… shadows were wrapping around Yugi and Yami; a succubus was backing away, a look of shock and horror on her face. "What the fuck is he doing?" The white haired demon growled.

"Killing his mate." Marik smirked. "The only choice he has."

"Yami!" Bakura growled at the hunter demon. "Don't think we're done here… we still have a score to settle." He ran for the growing sphere of darkness; Marik struggled more, finally breaking free of the weakening magic.

"He is SO dead." He made to chase his opponent, but a thunderclap and a burst of lightening at his feet stopped him cold.

"Touch him and I fry you where you stand." Ryou promised in a cold voice, wings wide in threat, hands smouldering and sparking with the threat of another lightening strike.

----- ----- ------

Yami held Yugi close as the darkness ate away at his lover's body, destroying it particle by particle. "Hang on… it won't be much longer."

Yugi whimpered a little. :Hurts…:

:I know love… stay with me.: He clung to Yugi's spirit as the last of the atoms vanished, spiralling into the darkness. Light – it was so light, and hot enough to burn him, but he held tight, wings wrapping around them both. :Can you hear me:

:Yes…: Yugi's voice sounded vague – Yami had the sinking feeling that the only thing keeping his lover in this world was the bond between them.

:Don't go… you have to stay with me.: Yami's power surged as he called on the darkness to rebuild that which he had destroyed; his beloved's physical form.

:Try…: Yugi whispered as magic spun around them.

It was Yami's turn to whimper; the amount of power this took was almost painful. With the same slowness, atoms formed out of nothingness, rebuilding the demon's form, only healthy and new, the wings healed, body flawless as Yami remembered. Yami's limbs shook with the raw power channelling through him, along with the effort it took to keep Yugi's spirit from shredding and vanishing into the night. The light was dimming in his arms.

:Yugi:

:Yami…: Yugi's mind voice was a mere hint in Yami's mind. :Can't…:

:Yes you can: Yami gathered all his love and emotion, spinning it into a line, thick enough to hold Yugi in this world, and wrapped it around the fading spirit of his love, feeding now not with his power, but his own life-force. :You can't leave me! I'll die if you go… Please, Yugi: Behind them, Yugi's physical body was almost done.

:I love you…: Yugi whispered, and the soul in his arms suddenly wrapped around him, the heat filling him. He gasped as it passed inside his body, their souls mingling. For a timeless eternity they floated there; thoughts and souls as one, a perfect communion that defied words.

The last atom firmed in place on his mate's new body, but Yami didn't want to let Yugi go. He wanted it to be like this forever.

:It will, my beloved.: Yugi's voice twined through his being. :But if we stay like this, I can't fuck you silly.:

Yami blinked, then started to laugh. He was still laughing as Light burst from his body, surrounding and sinking into the new form across from him.

---- ----- ------ ----

No more than an instant had passed when the shadows around Yugi and Yami shredded into nothing as Light flooded the room, blinding everyone. Bakura skidded to a halt, cursing, trying to protect his eyes. The dazzle faded; he could see Yami and Yugi still on the floor, bodies intertwined, laughing and crying and kissing each other on every inch of skin they could reach.

And Yugi's wings were whole and untouched.

Bakura shook his head, trying to figure out what happened, but his reaction was nothing compared to the Demon Lord's.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Azmodeous screamed. He could feel that he no longer had control of Yugi. "TAKE THEM!"

Malik and Marik were occupied, but a dozen more guards appeared from the shadows behind the throne, heading for the pair on the floor. Bakura ran for it, knowing he'd never make it on time.

He didn't have to. A howling wind picked up out of nowhere, blasting the guards off their feet; a moment later, a blinding blizzard swirled into existence. Bakura stumbled his way towards the pair on the floor. "Get up." He hissed.

"I can't." Yami whispered, barely able to be heard over the blizzard. Unlike Yugi, his wounds were still open and bleeding – his skin was pale and clammy as well. "No strength left."

"I can carry him, Bakura." Yugi interjected. "Can you get us out of here?"

"I'm going to have to, aren't I?" 'Kura looked around seeing that the pattern of snow and wind had changed, leaving them in a calm centre of the storm. "Hang on – have to wait for Ryou. I don't know how long I can hold a portal this close to the Demon Lord."

"Can we bring Mother and Father?" Yugi asked. "Azmodeous…"

"Yeah, I know." Kura reached into the swirling snow and grabbed a flailing arm, pulling Idra into the centre of the storm. "This your mom?"

"Yes." Yugi grinned as she dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around both Yugi and Yami. A moment later, Ryou and Joseph joined them; around Ryou's neck hung a ring of gold with a pyramid and an eye hung in the centre and five pointers hanging from the outside. The pointers were glowing with a pale golden light, seemingly leading them to the middle.

"'Kura?" Ryou asked. The gaki nodded and closed his eyes, opening the portal. They could still hear the howling of the Demon Lord's impotent fury as they passed through, back to the human world.

--- --- ---- ----

Otogi watched the TV blandly – at least things had been quiet while the others were gone, though that was somewhat nerve wracking as well. At least the mortal's 'soap operas' were engaging enough to stave off nerves and boredom. He idly twirled his fingers through this long black bangs, dark green eyes vaguely watching the flickering images.

Those eyes nearly popped out of his head as a portal opened nearly on his lap, disgorging a swirl of snow and icy air, followed by Yugi, carrying a limp-winged, bleeding and nearly unconscious Yami cradled in his arms. Two people he didn't recognize followed, then Ryou, with Bakura bringing up the rear. The portal snapped closed, cutting off the snow and the icy wind. "What the hell… you made it!" Relief overwhelmed surprise; he moved to help Yugi with Yami. "What happened?"

"Long story and we have no time to tell it." 'Kura snapped, sliding something long and golden into his back belt loop before heading for the phone. "We have no idea how long until Marik and Malik come after us."

They laid Yami in a chair; his eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily, but otherwise he seemed fine. Otogi headed for the bathroom, coming back with a first aid kit which the woman took. "Ludus – go pack for yourself and Yami." She ordered, beginning to treat the injuries. Ryou had collapsed on the couch, obviously spent. Kura was talking to someone on the phone in a low, rapid voice.

"What happened?" Otogi asked again as Yugi sprinted past him into the room he shared with Yami; the only one who wasn't busy, the strange man, paused as he moved to help the woman with Yami's injuries.

"Who are you?"

"Otogi – friend of Yugi…Ludus. You?"

"Joseph, Ludus' father – and this is Idra, his mother."

Green eyes widened. "I see… honoured to meet you. What happened?"

Joseph gave the incubus a quick overview while Idra finished cleaning Yami's wounds, which were already healing – the teen had slipped into true sleep now, curled into a ball of feathers and limbs.

When the story ended, Otogi shook his head in disbelief. "Incredible. But the Demon Lord is going to be after you…" He stood abruptly, heading for his cloak.

"Otogi?" Ryou asked.

"I'm going to play decoy – set up an illusion spell once I'm gone – I'll set up a portal for the hunters to follow. With luck, they'll think that you took off right away." The black-haired demon unfurled his wings, flapping them once. "I can lose them in Beijing or Singapore."

"Wait." Kura handed him a slip of paper. "Yami and Yugi are going into hiding, but this is where Ryou and I will be staying."

"They're going to come after you." Otogi pointed out. Bakura just smirked, showing his fangs.

"I certainly hope so." His eyes narrowed. "Be careful, alright? You can't take on a pair of hunters on your own."

"I will." With a light leap, Otogi took to the air, opening a portal. He would jump to a few different places before he stopped, vanishing into the human population. With luck, the demons would give up after being on a wild goose chase for a while.

The darkness of the portal took him and he vanished.

---- ----- -----

Yugi sighed as he lay on the bed beside his still drowsing mate. Yami's wounds had healed over, the scabs flaking off to leave untouched golden skin underneath; but still he looked pale and washed out. His dreaming mind brushed lightly against Yugi's, radiating happiness and content.

Delicately, he undressed Yami, marvelling over the strange clothing. The armour came off easily to his touch; it was light, far lighter than he had expected. The linen hugging Yami's hips was wrapped in a complex fashion – it seemed to be all of a piece without seam or fastening. Belt, greaves, and arm guards came off as well. The only thing he left on was the puzzle hanging around his neck.

The final wonder was the crown; from the feel of the circlet, it was solid gold, marked with a similar Eye to that on the puzzle. Gently Yugi removed it, finding it smooth and heavy under his fingers. "Where did you get all this?" he murmured aloud.

"When I accepted the darkness to save you." Yami murmured. Yugi looked down into crimson-violet eyes, placing the circlet on the bedside along with the rest of the gear. "It was mine… a long time ago."

"Yours?"

"I don't remember much – but in a past life I was a Shadow Mage and pharaoh of Khemet – Egypt." Yami put a hand to his head, slowly sitting up. "And right now I'm rather sore and hungry."

Yugi nodded, putting his questions aside for the moment and helping his mate to his feet. "Did you want a bath while I make something to eat?" he asked.

"That would be wonderful." Yami smiled shyly. "I hope this isn't freaking you out nearly as much as it's freaking me out."

Yugi laughed as he guided the other to the bathroom. "No, I'm a demon – we're used to weird ass shit. Did you have wings when you were Pharaoh?"

"No, those are new." He swished one experimentally. "Do you like them? I don't know why their like bird's wings rather than like yours…"

"Probably because the mating bond didn't make you a demon." Seating the other on the toilet, he started running the water in the small tub. "I'm not sure what you are, but you don't feel like a demon."

"I guess it doesn't really matter." Yami leaned back a bit. "Where are we anyway?"

"Vancouver… Canada."

"Canada?" He blinked. "How did we get here?"

"Kaiba's personal jet." Yugi tested the water, adjusting the temperature fussily. "There is a large enough ethnic diversity here that we won't stand out too much – though we'll have to find a way to hide those beautiful wings if you want to go outside. And it means that it will be MUCH harder for Marik and Malik to track us down. Kaiba says he'll send for us when the time comes for your hearing."

"Alright. It looks like everything is all arranged."

"Yes…" Yugi turned around, then suddenly pounced, straddling his mate and kissing him hungrily. :Missed you… want you…:

:Me too…: Yami moaned into the kiss. :The Demon Lord, he didn't…:

:No.: Yugi started licking and kissing his way down Yami's bare neck and collarbone. :He made me suck him off, but that's all… it was foul, but at least he didn't do more than that.:

Yami moaned, unable to help himself. :Yugi…:

:Shh, lover… I want to taste you again… I want to pleasure you, and get the taste of that monster out of my mouth…: Unspoken along the bond, Yami could feel that Yugi was more upset than he was letting on, and wanted to do something of his own free will, something that would connect him with Yami again. He ran his fingers through Yugi's hair and submitted himself to his lover's caresses.

----- ----- ----

Some time later, Yami walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his dripping hair and a robe awkwardly tied around his waist. "I wish I knew how to make my wings vanish like you can." He complained by way of greeting.

"We'll get to that eventually, love." Yugi laid the last of the food on the table – pancakes, bacon and sausage. "You need to eat and recover your strength."

Sitting down at the table, Yami was surprised at how famished he was. "Thank… you didn't have cook so much though."

"It's not just for you." Yugi grinned, sitting beside him. A few moments later, two demons came into the room from another bedroom, both looking somewhat sleepy. Yami eeped and blushed, trying to get his robe up around his chest as he rose to his feet, bowing sheepishly.

"Yami, this is my mother Idra and my father Joseph."

He swallowed – in his experience, parents were creatures to be feared. He bowed again, lower this time. "Joseph-sama; Idra-sama."

"Yami." Joseph smiled and Idra pulled him into a hug, much to his shock. He froze, half-expecting to be yelled at or struck if he moved. After all, his own mother and father had never given him any kind of affection…

After a moment, Idra let him go. "Thank you for saving Ludus' life – we owe you more than we can repay."

"And we're honoured to call you our son." Joseph added. Yami stared at the pair of them, dazed.

:Yami: Yugi's voice cut through the fog. :Are you alright:

:Do they mean it:

:Mean what:

:About…: He couldn't put it into words; the complicated bundle of feelings flew across their link. Yami could feel his mate digesting the information before he nodded.

:Yes, they do… they aren't like your father and mother… they were always very loving and supportive. And I know that if you want new parents to replace those other people…"

:They won't…:

:No.: Yugi sent support across the link, along with love and trust. :They won't hurt you – I told you, what that bastard did to you is NOT normal… let them prove it:

The question hung in the air for a bit… then Yami threw his arms around the pair, who wrapped their arms around him and held him close.


End file.
